Carolina Panthers

T.J. Ward says Panthers wanted fame, Broncos wanted to be champs

Published Feb. 8, 2016 2:13 p.m. ET

foxsports

The backlash against the Carolina Panthers after their Super Bowl 50 loss has been fast and furious.

For the last two weeks, it seemed that the Panthers, specifically Cam Newton, could do no wrong.

The Broncos, however, were sitting back waiting for their moment to pounce. It was evident from the first series when Broncos wide receiver Andre Caldwell hit the Panthers with the dab after a first down completion. That was just a sign of what was to come. After the confetti fell and the Broncos were handed the Lombardi Trophy, the storm that was brewing was unleashed.

MVP Von Miller crushed the Panthers in an Instagram post, Aqib Talib said "there ain't no Superman" and even Newton's image was questioned after his controversial press conference. Safety T.J. Ward delivered another blow after the game speaking with USA Today's Lindsay Jones.

The Broncos' defense made their statement loud and clear on Sunday.

"We don't have to say nothing," Ward said. "We let them do all the talking. We let our pads talk. We talk with our helmets and our shoulder pads. They could do all the media talking, you know what I'm talking about? We're not about that flashy stuff. We're about that grind, putting in that work. Grind it. Work. That's how you get the 'ship.

"They want to be famous. We want to be champions. They want to be rappers and backup dancers. We want to play football."

Ward makes a great point. The Panthers were the ones who made dabbing famous. Newton was featured in a Beats by Dre commercial with Future. And who can forget Panthers defensive back Tre Boston did the DJ Esco dance after sacking Russell Wilson in the NFC Divisonal Round.

The Broncos kept their composure leading up to the Super Bowl and let their play do the talking on game day.