Broncos Clinch Super Bowl Win Over Panthers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- If this was the final game of Peyton Manning's great career, he can thank linebacker Von Miller for sending him out with a flourish.
Miller made the jump-starting and clinching plays for the Denver Broncos, who upset the Carolina Panthers 24-10 on Sunday night to make Manning the first quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl for two teams.
With the Broncos ahead 3-0 midway through the first quarter, Miller broke through to sack Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who failed to see the Super Bowl 50 MVP even though the pass rush was coming from in front of him.
As Newton went down, the ball squirted out and bounced into the end zone, where Denver defensive end Malik Jackson fell on it for the game's first touchdown.
Denver, which never trailed in the game, failed repeatedly on opportunities to extend its lead with another touchdown, finally succeeding after another Miller sack, which caused another fumble by Newton with a little more than four minutes remaining in the game.
This one was eventually recovered by safety T.J. Ward at the Panthers' 4-yard line after the ball bounced through several players. With only a field goal needed to create a two-score advantage
, Denver inexplicably let Manning throw on third down -- and Carolina was penalized for holding.
On the very next play, running back C.J. Anderson ran into the end zone from two yards out for the Broncos' clinching touchdown.
Most people expect Manning, at 39 the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl, to retire, as his boss, Broncos general manager John Elway, did after winning back-to-back championships in the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
And like Elway, Manning was not able to ascend the peak again until he got the kind of help he rarely had in his career. In Elway's case, it was the great running of Terrell Davis. In Manning's case, it was Denver's league-leading defense, led by Miller.
Miller had 2.5 sacks Sunday night, and the Broncos had a total of seven, tying the Super Bowl record. Denver also forced four turnovers from a Carolina team that lost only 19 turnovers during the regular season and had a league-best takeaway margin of plus-20.
Between the Jackson and Anderson touchdowns, Denver had to depend on the leg of placekicker Brandon McManus, who kicked three field goals as the Broncos' offense stalled repeatedly in the red zone. Four drives to at least the Carolina 25-yard line failed to produce touchdowns; one of them ended with Manning throwing an interception.
Carolina scored its touchdown in the second quarter following a 73-yard drive in the second quarter, with running back Jonathan Stewart leaping over the line from the 1-yard line.
Manning completed 13 of 23 passes for 141 yards. Anderson rushed for 82 yards on 20 carries including a magnificent 34-yarder gallop. Newton, under steady pressure, completed 17 of 40 for 259 yards.
