Raiders Open Up Season 1-0 in Win vs. Panthers

Final: LV 34 CAR 30 [W] (1-0)

Welcome in to the full recap of Week 1. The Raiders go on the road and outrun the Panthers lead Josh Jacobs' 3 Rushing TD performance in a 34-30 win.

Ground and pound dominated this game. It was the best rookie running back of last year in Josh Jacobs vs. the #1 all-purpose running back in Christian McCaffrey. Jacobs without a doubt was the MVP of this game. 25 carries, 93 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs, 4 receptions, and 46 receiving yards is his final stat line. No signs of sophomore slump this game. The O-line did a great job of blocking for him throughout whole game. The only time he got bottled up is from a bad formation or playcalling on Jon Gruden's end. Jacobs' 3rd rushing TD allowed the Raiders to retake the lead and never look back.

In the first quarter, the Raiders run defense did a solid job at the beginning, bottling up CMC in the line of scrimmage. Thinking about it last night, it was going to be interesting to see how the new look front seven was going to fare against CMC with the upgrades at DT and LB. However, it didn't take long for him to get going for the rest of the game. Probably the most head scratching decision is that the Panthers elected not to hand off to McCaffrey on that 4th and inches. They went with the fullback and Clelin Ferrell came up with huge 4th down stop to seal this game.

Overall, the Raiders played a clean game sans 3 penalties. Probably the sign of the times right there. My only concern is that the Raiders sat on the lead in the 4th after going up 27-15. Honestly, this conservative stuff has to stop. Jon Gruden is notorious for shutting it down in the 2nd half. You're up 12 and you let the Panthers score 15 unanswered. When you trail, you start opening up the playbook again. This will be the only thing that will cost the Raiders some games. Keep your foot on the gas pedal.

Onto the other standouts: clean game from Derek Carr today. 22 completed passes of 30 attempts, 239 yards, 1 TD off a 23-yarder to Nelson Agholor. Carr played the game manager role well as the running game was going off. We also a few connections to the rookie Henry Ruggs. Carr threw a deep ball to him on the first pass that ended up incomplete. But, they came back again and connected deep for 45 yards to set up Josh Jacobs' first rushing TD of the day. It was a pretty small sample size considering Ruggs came off hobbling in the 2nd quarter after a tackle from Carolina DB, Jeremy Chinn. Chinn landed on his leg as he was making an open field tackle. Good news was that Ruggs was able to finish the game.  Devontae Booker also stood out with 4 carries, 29 rushing yards and 3 receptions for 23 receiving yards. Jalen Richard's days as a #2 RB may be numbered. Booker stood out especially as a pass catcher, sparing Jacobs.

Injury concerns: Trent Brown left in the 2nd quarter with a calf issue. Nick Kwiatkoski didn't finish the game due to a pectoral injury. Huge losses this game. However, Trent Brown's injury history last year is well-documented. When he's healthy, he solidifies the Raiders' right side. That is "when." Mike Mayock opened the bank for him and it would be unfortunate if he can't elude the injury bug.

1-0 always feels great for any team in the NFL. As I mentioned, the Raiders need to stop playing with the lead and continue to press on teams. Too much of these close games are not for the faint of heart. But 1-0, especially in the inaugural season in a new city always feels good. The Raiders get the Saints next week in a Monday Night matchup in their new digs at Allegiant Stadium. I'll see you guys later.

Raiders Hold on to Beat Panthers for First Winning Season Since 2002

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders Week 12 matchup vs. the Carolina Panthers where the Raiders pull it out yet again in a roller coaster thriller, beating the Panthers 32-35 and posting their first winning season since 2002, standing at 9-2.

I'm not lying to you when I say this, I have some tear drops falling while I'm posting this recap. I was 9 years old the last time the Raiders had a winning record. I've had blurry memories on those days with Rich Gannon, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Jerry Porter, Zack Crockett, Tyrone Wheatley, Charles Woodson. Season after season, they've gone 4-12 and 5-11. Throw in some 2-14, 3-13, 7-9, and 8-8 when Lechler and Sebass were arguably the best players on the roster. Too many player turnovers with Randy Moss, Warren Sapp, Andrew Walter, JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski, Justin Fargas, Robert Gallery, Richard Seymour, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Roland McClain, Darren McFadden, etc. And too many coaching turnovers with Norv Turner, Tom Cable, Lane Kiffin, Art Shell, Dennis Allen, etc. Just looking at that list leaves you with some nostalgia and a lot of pain inside. Now, you can put that all to rest! Add this game to the list of polarizing victories this season. The first half, the Raiders looked dominant. They were gonna run the Panthers out of town. Then, the third quarter happened when Carr dislocated his pinky. Not the sight you want to see, but never underestimate his toughness in finishing the game out. The Raiders have overcome a lot of adversity in the 4th quarter. To them, this was normal. Blew a 17 point lead? No problem. Win the game by 3. Great win.

(+)

Derek Carr, 26 of 38 passes, 315 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT. Carr is a certified tough guy. That's the Mamba Mentality that Carr has. If you're a Laker fan and Raider fan like myself you'd understand how Kobe played. Didn't matter if he had foot injuries, knee injuries, finger dislocation, he still played through the pain and willed the Lakers to a victory. There's nothing that can hold this "Carr" down. He was solid throughout the whole game, especially in the first half. Then after that pinky injury, he did throw a pick to Thomas Davis, but he still kept playing and as usual, laid it all out on the field to keep this team rolling to their first winning season.

Khalil Mack, 5 tackles, 1 strip sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 TD. Whew, that's a lot of stats from Mack. Like I said, I was fired up when Mack had that pick 6 off a Cam Newton screen pass. He could've totaled a lot more sacks, but he kept feasting on the Panthers' O-line and applying a lot of pressure on Newton. There's nothing much to be said with Mack. He is a beast. And when Mario Edwards and Aldon Smith come back, he's definitely going to turn it on in the sacks. This game, he showed he can do it all.

Michael Crabtree, 8 receptions, 110 yards. Oh no, Crabtree has played like garbage the last two games. As Aaron Rodgers would say: "R-E-L-A-X." He did promise he was going to come back strong after the last game and he lived up to it. Crabtree, the best hands in the league, was back this game. And talk about a clutch catch from Derek Carr's deep ball to put Jano within field goal range to win the game. Give the "King Clutch" title back to King Crab!

Bruce Irvin, 3 tackles, 1 sack. Before Cam Newton goes to sleep, he checks under his bed for Bruce Irvin. Aside from Von Miller, Irvin has been a thorn on the side for Newton. This dates back to the Seattle Seahawks days. The stats sheet might show Irvin had a quiet game, but he was applying a lot pressure on the edge to make Newton as uncomfortable as can be.

(-)

The third quarter. Yes, momentum swung in the favor when Derek Carr got hurt for a brief moment. But, if anything, the team as whole has to keep playing at that moment. Keep the momentum going forward instead of giving it up. As mentioned, the Panthers scored 18 unanswered points. Hopefully this young team learns to play regardless of the situation, especially when the franchise quarterback gets hurt.

Running game. Once again, the running game gets stuffed by a very big, physical D-line. We have to give credit to the Panthers' defense in that category. The one silver lining is that they gave up a goal line TD to Murray, but other than that, their run defense played lights out.

Secondary. Oh man, I saw T.J. Carrie getting burned. Sean Smith got burned, although he did play an "OK" game. Antonio Hamilton was on the field when D.J. Hayden got hurt. Speaking of Hayden, we might as well change his name P.I. Hayden. He's solid when he's a nickel corner at best. Considering Amerson was inactive, it was frustrating watching the secondary give up big plays to keep Carolina hanging.

MVP

Khalil Mack 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, INT, TD

"No doubt." "By any means!" First defensive player on the board in my MVP list this season and it couldn't be more fitting. Mack formally introduced himself to Cam Newton this game and he gets his first pick 6 and 1st fumble recovery off a strip sack. The Untamable Beast!




Conclusion

9-2! Say it with me now, 9-2! Regardless what happens this season, this is going to be something to remember. There are a lot of football games left though to get to the "P word." Hopefully Carr's finger turns out to be okay because we're gonna need him for the stretch run. This team gives us heart attacks, but as long as they win in the end it doesn't matter. Now addressing the elephant in the room: the NFL could decide on Aldon Smith's reinstatement possibly on Friday because that's the expiration date of his 60-day reinstatement window. With no Mario Edwards in sight, this news could give the defense the spark they need to play better solid football. So stay tuned for that. But, five games left. The Raiders' remaining road games are against division rivals and they get Buffalo next week and Indianapolis on Christmas Eve. Next week's matchup could be a trap game because the Raiders could be caught looking ahead to the pivotal Thursday Night rematch vs. the Chiefs in Kansas City. But as long as they continue to take it one game at a time, the sky is the limit. Happy days are here again. The Raiders have compiled a winning season finally! Now let's keep the train rolling! Just keep chalking up those W's! I'll see you guys next week for the game against the Buffalo Bills.

Week 12: RAIDERS vs. Carolina Panthers 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Raiders-Panthers week 12 matchup. Leave a comment below the post and share your thoughts on the half.

Q4

CAR 32 OAK 35

I have seen it all from this team already this season. Down 17 on the road, they come back to win with a two-point conversion. Set the record for most penalties in one game, still win. Some controversial calls, still win. Blowing a 17 point lead and the franchise quarterback getting hurt and they still find a way to win. This team will not bow. They will not give up. The will to win burns bright in this team! Al Davis is smiling somewhere up in the skies. After 14 painful seasons, we finally have a winning season! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

CAR 25 OAK 24

Wow, the first half was awesome. The start of the 2nd half not so much. Our worst fear of Derek Carr getting injured has manifested itself. The Raiders were putting together a solid offensive drive to start and then it just crashing down when Carr got his pinky finger dislocated on the snap. Matt McGloin comes in and didn't do much. The Panthers cashed in the opportunity, scoring 18 unanswered points. 12 of them was when Carr was out. The next 6 was off a turnover from Carr throwing with a glove. This quarter sucked the air out of the momentum that the Raiders had. They've overcome a lot of adversity in the 4th quarter. Let's see what this next chapter will unfold.

Week 12: RAIDERS vs. Carolina Panthers 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the 1st half of the Raiders' week 12 matchup vs. the defending NFC Champions, Carolina Panthers. Leave a comment below the post on your thoughts during the half.

Q2

CAR 7 OAK 24

Now that was a fun quarter to watch! The Panthers are better than what their record indicates, but the Raiders are not taking anything lightly. All three phases are running well: offense, defense, and special teams. If it weren't for that roughing the passer penalty on Stacy McGee, the Raiders would've pitched a shutout so far. This is the kind of performance we've been waiting for from the Raiders all season long. I'm still fired up on that pick 6 by Khalil Mack to close out the quarter. That was a great athletic play to read the misdirection throw by Cam Newton. The negatives I can only pinpoint is that running game is not doing so well. The Panthers' D-line are doing a great job keeping the run game in check, but Tay Train was still able to punch in one rushing TD. Then, the last few offensive possessions I thought were a little too conservative. Some quick 3 and outs, pretty dangerous to leave all those points on the field for Cam and the Panthers offense. This should be a complete blowout right out of the gate. But, there's satisfaction to be taken in with this dominant first half performance. Derek Carr is distributing the ball well and the offense is just putting together solid, methodical drives to gas out the Panthers defense. The defense is creating a lot of pressure on the Panthers and their banged up O-line. Now, 2nd half, usually in the past, when the Raiders were up by this kind of margin, they put their foot off the gas and let the game be a lot closer than it is. They need to "keep pounding" on this Panthers team. No ifs, ands, or buts. Make the necessary adjustments and run the Panthers out of the Coliseum and straight out of Oakland! The 2nd half post will open up shortly.

Q1

CAR 7 OAK 7

So, Cam Newton gets his wish for the refs to call more roughing the passer calls. Defenses still do it, but when it's the Raiders, the flags come out immediately. But, aside from that, great start for the Raiders holding the Panthers to nothing on their first possession. Carr and the offense had a pair of very methodical drives. I gotta give Musgrave credit for a solid game plan to start. But going back to the last drive by the Panthers, I thought that penalty was questionable. No way Stacy McGee would've stopped his momentum going forward. But, gotta live with it. Still more football to go.

Manning, Denver Defense Earn Place in Football History; Shut Down Panthers in Super Bowl 50

Alright guys, welcome in to the full recap of Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos! In a battle of #1 seeds in the Big Game's 50th installment, the Denver defense, lead by Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, leave their mark in history as they completely shut down the league MVP Cam Newton and the Panthers, 10-24 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

There's no magnificent ending in sports other than to see a legendary player end his storied career by going out on top a champion. This is what circled around this game. The legacy that Peyton Manning will leave, there is no question that he's one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game of football, but you can't write a better ending than what he wrote tonight and that's walking out of Levi's Stadium, in the 50th edition of the Super Bowl, a champion. But let's step away from Peyton's storied career for a minute. Time and time again, the Denver Broncos defense showed why they were the best defense in the league. Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, the rest of the Broncos defense, they attacked Cam Newton and the Panthers O-line like crazy. They didn't give him any room to run as they kept stacking up the box, their defensive backs didn't give the Panthers receivers any room to run, and they made timely turnovers to seal the game. Like I said, the Panthers had some opportunities, but they shot themselves in the foot countless times and it costed them in the long run and the Denver defense was able to eat them up.

Carolina Panthers

(+)

Defense. I predicted that this would be a low scoring game because of how good both defenses are. But let's look at the Panthers' side first. They were on the field for too long this game because of the slow start of the offense and the amount of mistakes the offense was making. But, they hung tough out there. After being off balance for Denver's first offensive drive, they kept them in check all game long, holding them to field goals by Brandon McManus. Luke Kuechly, 10 tackles, 1 sack, no question he's a beast. But Kony Ealy was their top performer out there with 4 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble. Ealy's play tonight kept the Panthers defense afloat and prolonged window of opportunity for the Panthers offense to get the team back into this game.

Corey "Philly" Brown, 4 receptions, 80 yards. When Brown went out to the locker room somewhere in the third quarter, that was it for the Panthers because he was their play maker all game long when the Panthers' offense couldn't get anything going. Cam Newton had pressure in his face all game long, being unable to make some throws he usually make. But Philly Brown stepped up to be that big play maker and he did a tremendous job against this stingy Denver secondary before he went down to injury.

(-)

Missed opportunities. It wasn't just the Broncos' defense who beat the Panthers, it was also the Panthers who beat the Panthers this game. 4 turnovers in the game, a missed field goal by Graham Gano. The running game, when Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert had some good runs, they fumbled. When T.J. Ward fumbled his interception, the Panthers couldn't come up to recover the fumble and score it for a TD. When Cam Newton fumbled the snap in the 4th quarter, he didn't bother to recover the ball to give the team one last run. This is a reflection of a young team and their mistakes showed in the biggest game of their life.

Penalties. Like I said before, the Panthers also beat the Panthers and they shot themselves in the foot this game. Too many pre-snap penalties that costed them yardage when they were putting together solid drives in Broncos territory and too many illegal block/holding penalties that costed them some decent field position to start.

Denver Broncos

(+)

Von Miller, 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks. Von Miller, hands down deserved Super Bowl MVP honors. The Panthers' O-line just didn't have the answers on how to contain him or block him! Von was just too fast for the Panthers to handle. The strip sack he had on Newton for a TD during the first quarter pretty much set the tone that Newton was not going to run circles on this defense. When he brings pressure from the blind side, it results in a sack and he got to Newton too many times. Some of the time, he was able to sack him, hence his 2.5 sacks, but a lot of the time when Miller collapsed the pocket it allowed opportunities for Ware and Derek Wolfe to get after Newton. There was nowhere for Newton to escape and Von Miller definitely made his presence felt this game as a pass rusher and as a disruptive playmaker.

Dustin Colquitt. Hey, punters are people too! Rarely is the importance of special teams emphasized, but the defense wouldn't have feasted on the Panthers' offense if it weren't for Dustin Colquitt. Colquitt pinned the Panthers deep for the most part of this game. This answers the reason why the Panthers' offense was getting awful field position to start! Even when the Broncos were deep into their own territory, Colquitt's punts didn't allow Ted Ginn, Jr. to have a favorable punt return nor did he give them any field position to start in Denver territory.

C.J. Anderson, 21 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD. Aside from the defense, Denver's running game was the the other key for the Broncos to have any chance of winning and C.J. Anderson provided that spark. The O-line deserves credit too for opening up some timely holes, but Anderson getting the running game going with some explosive runs kept the Panthers' defense off balance in some stints of the game. Not to mention, his 2 yard TD run sealed the deal for the Broncos in securing a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Panthers.

(-)

Demaryius Thomas, 1 reception, 8 yards. Panthers' cornerback, Josh Norman did his job in containing the Broncos' #1 receiver. I don't know if it's the big contract that he got in the past offseason, but Thomas was non-existent for the most part of the season, let alone in the playoffs. And two years after setting receiving records in Super Bowl XLVIII, he is held to just 1 catch for 8 yards in Super Bowl 50. How's he going to live up to his contract now that Peyton Manning may call it quits? We don't know, but he hasn't been the Broncos' go-to-guy as of late.

Conclusion

I'll remove some impartiality a little and say as a Raider fan, this game makes me want to puke after witnessing the Denver Broncos win yet another Super Bowl title and this time in my hometown of Santa Clara. You never want to see a heated divisional rival win it all at your expense. And in the process, they tied us for the most championships in the AFC West. Okay, I've gotten that off my chest. But it's going to be interesting to see if they're still going to be a powerhouse team as they transition into football life without Peyton Manning. As long as they keep their core players in Von Miller, Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan, etc. and Wade Phillips is still calling plays, their defense is going to carry the team on their back because the players are in the prime of their careers with the exception of DeMarcus Ware of course. Hey, in the incoming offseason, the Raiders might not have a shot at Von Miller to pair him with Mack, but they have a legit chance in snagging Malik Jackson or Danny Trevathan or both away to weaken them. As for the Panthers, they're young and this is part of the growing process. There's no question they'll be contenders for quite some time. The only question is, when players like Josh Norman for example played lights out in his contract year, will he play at the same level once he gets a contract extension? Both teams have a lot of questions to answer in the offseason because a lot of their integral pieces will be free agents. As for Peyton Manning, a heck of an ending to a storied career. The game of football is going to be weird to watch since guys like Charles Woodson and Peyton Manning, the last of their kind in the 1998 draft, called it quits after this season. But congrats to Peyton for a storied NFL career and we'll see him again with a gold jacket on in Canton, Ohio. Thank you guys for following my coverage of Super Bowl 50. Until next season. I'll see you guys later.

Congrats Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 champions!

(I'm gonna puke)

SUPER BOWL 50: Carolina Panthers (NFC) vs. Denver Broncos (AFC) Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

CAR 10 DEN 24

The 2015 Broncos' defense might've solidified its place as one of the best defenses in Super Bowl history to go along with the 1985 Chicago Bears, 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and the 2013 Seattle Seahawks. Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and the rest of the Denver D-line contained Cam Newton and just straight up rattled him and the Panthers' O-line. Like I said in the 3rd quarter, the Panthers had some opportunities to come back in this game, but fumbles, pre-snap penalties absolutely doomed them from start to finish. Peyton Manning, you can't ask for a better ending for a storied career. Just unbelievable. But, the Denver defense hands down won this game single-handedly. They were just too much for the Panthers' offense to handle. Stay tuned for the full recap after the trophy presentation.

Q3:

CAR 7 DEN 16

We can talk about how good the Broncos defense has been all game long. But, the truth of the matter is, the Panthers are shooting themselves in the foot right now. Graham Gano's missed field goal started the trend, which allowed the Broncos to drive and cap it off with another McManus field goal. Then, just when the Panthers are about to go into the Broncos' red zone again, Newton throws an interception, but T.J. Ward fumbled it and that could've swung the momentum in Carolina's favor had Ted Ginn scooped it and possibly return it for a TD. The Panthers had a lot of opportunities this quarter and they couldn't cash them in. The window for them is closing soon as we head to the final quarter of Super Bowl 50 and of the 2015 NFL Season as well.

Q2:

CAR 7 DEN 13

Panthers' offensive coordinator, Mike Shula made some adjustments this quarter and he let Cam Newton turned loose to get the Panthers' offense going. In the first quarter, the defense held Newton in check, but in the 2nd quarter with some misdirection plays and some option plays, Newton rushed for 46 yards on 5 carries against this Denver defense. That opened up some opportunities and Jonathan Stewart was able to punch in to get Carolina on the board. The Panthers are fortunate to be down by 6 because of their stellar play from their defense lead by Luke Kuechly to contain Denver's offense after their first series, but some costly turnovers and drops are costing them right now from tying the game or taking the lead. Then again, the Broncos defense are making their presence felt in giving Newton all kinds of looks and fits. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

CAR 0 DEN 10

This quarter definitely belonged to the Broncos. The Denver defense is definitely as good as advertised. They're stacking up the box against Newton so that he doesn't have any running lanes to flush out of the pocket for a big gainer and they're forcing him to throw. Meanwhile, the Broncos offense went off to a good start. I said if they establish the run with C.J. Anderson, it'll open up things for Peyton and they caught the Panthers' defense off balance before they successfully stopped them in the next few drives. So far though, the Denver defense is doing its job, but credit to the special teams of the Broncos too for giving the Panthers offense horrible field position to start.

Super Bowl 50 Halftime Post

CAR 7 DEN 13

Welcome in to the halftime post of Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos where the Broncos have a 7-13 lead at the half.

(+)

C.J. Anderson (DEN), 7 carries, 58 yards. I said in the "Keys for the Broncos" in my preview that the running game has to be established and it starts with C.J. Anderson. Anderson found some good holes in the running lane against this good Carolina run defense as it was evident in Denver's first series on offense and during the 2nd quarter when he found a big hole to put the Broncos into the red zone. The O-line gets credit too for paving some holes for Anderson to run loose. Even though the Panthers stopped Denver a few drives, the running game managed to put their defense on ice.

Defense (DEN). Cam Newton held to 0 rushing yards in the first quarter, a couple of fumbles, one returned for a TD, sacks by Miller and Ware, the defense is doing its job in frustrating Cam Newton and giving him no room to run. If the Broncos are going to win this game, they have to ride on their defense to make plays and give Peyton Manning some opportunities to field some decent drives together.

Luke Kuechly (CAR), 6 tackles, 1 sack. Without a shadow of a doubt, Luke Kuechly is one of the best middle linebackers in the game and he's translating his elite play to the Super Bowl. He was able to get Peyton off a blitz, his activity was well evident when covering the whole field (look at the hit he made on Demaryius Thomas).

(-)

Aqib Talib (DEN), 3 penalties. If there's one thing that's going to cost the Broncos, it's the penalties. The defense hasn't given the Panthers' offense any life, but some big penalties by Aqib Talib has given the Panthers a fighting chance and the Panthers were able to cash in on their first score by those two big penalties by Talib. Talib has costed them the Colts game awhile. He can't afford to cost them here in the big game.

Jitters (CAR). Understandably so, the Panthers are a young team, playing in the biggest game of their young careers. The Panther receivers were dropping a lot of balls, Mike Tolbert fumbled twice when the Panthers were in good field position to field a couple of drives. Right now, they're relying on Cam Newton to put something together and they're not trying to make plays to help out their quarterback because the Broncos defense is zoned out to contain Newton.

Bottom Line

The Panthers' offense have to shake off the jitters and the receivers need to stop dropping some balls to give Newton a fighting chance. That's detrimental for the Panthers to get back in this game since the defense is doing their job containing Peyton Manning and the offense. The Broncos, it's all about defense, defense, defense. This Denver defense is going to make plays and give Manning some opportunities to put together some solid field position to put together some solid scoring drives. Let's see what happens in the 2nd half as Carolina gets the ball after deferring the coin toss.

Super Bowl 50 Preview: Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers

Welcome in to another True Raider Laker edition of previews for Super Bowl Sunday. This year, we are celebrating 50 years since the big game was formed and this year's matchup pits the AFC champion, the Denver Broncos, who are making their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in four years and the NFC champion, the Carolina Panthers, making their 2nd Super Bowl appearance since 2004. And with great pride, this 50th edition of the Super Bowl is happening in my hometown of Santa Clara, California at Levi's Stadium.

I would've never thought in 21 years, a Super Bowl event would be happening in my hometown, let alone, happen in the Bay Area. This is a surreal feeling for me that I'm previewing this Super Bowl, knowing it's going to happen in my hometown. I think this is the only time I'll thank the 49ers for something; building a stadium in my hometown, but I'm still gonna stick to the Silver and Black thank you very much. First we had WrestleMania 31 last year, which I attended and it was a blast. Now, we have Super Bowl 50, it's just pure pandemonium here in Santa Clara for the last two years. Well enough reminiscing about my town, another year where the #1 seed in both conferences will face off against each other in the Super Bowl. The Broncos are trying to win one more for Peyton Manning in his "last rodeo" in professional football while the Panthers are trying to write their name in history after finishing a league best, 15-1 in the regular season. As usual, I will evaluate their roster, their season, and make my prediction as to who do I think will win the big game. Let's get down to business!

Denver Broncos

There is no question that Peyton Manning is grabbing all the attention now that we know that this Super Bowl is his swan song for his NFL career. However, the story of the Broncos this season did not revolve around Manning. Their #1 ranked defense was the sole reason why they wounded up in this Super Bowl. This defense was stacked with plenty of pass rushers from Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Malik Jackson, Derek Wolfe, etc. The secondary, headlined by Chris Harris, Jr., Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward were stout and physical in coverage, which opened up a lot of sack opportunities for Miller and Ware. Wade Phillips, in his first year as Denver's defensive coordinator, did wonders in transforming the Broncos' front seven into every quarterback's worst nightmare; you have to give him a lot of credit for that. This season, the Denver defense allowed an average of 199.6 passing yards, ranked #1 in pass defense and they were also top 5 in run defense, allowing an average of 83.6 yards on the ground (link). To show you examples of how legit this defense is: they held Aaron Rodgers to under 100 yards passing, they completely blanked the Raiders' offense for the first half of the Week 14 game in Denver, holding them to minus yardage. Of course both regular season games frustrated me as a Raider fan, but in all honesty, you can't help but fear the Broncos' defense because they are layered with depth from the D-line, Linebacker, and Secondary positions and you just never know what kind of pressure Wade Phillips would dial up.

Even though the defense is a stalwart group, they had to resort to the "bend, but don't break" philosophy in most games because the offense was so stagnant for the most part of the regular season. Peyton Manning had trouble throwing the football and adding some zip to his passes, C.J. Anderson frustrated many Fantasy owners with his slow start to get the ball rolling, Demaryius Thomas dropped a lot of balls, and the O-line, well, Khalil Mack's 5 sack performance in Week 14 told the whole story about the up-and-down play of Denver's O-line. Throughout the season, the poor performance of the offense put Denver in a lot of close games, but because the defense made some timely plays and some key stops, the offense got bailed out in a lot of the team's victories. In the games against the Ravens, the Chiefs (in Kansas City), the Vikings, the Raiders (in Oakland), the Bears, and the Bengals, all of these games were won because of the awesome play of the Broncos' defense much to the expense of the offense. The Denver offense was a hot mess that head coach Gary Kubiak resorted to benching Manning in favor of Brock Osweiler. There's no question that Osweiler filled in admirably, especially when he lead the team to a shocking win over the Patriots. But, you can't write Manning's fairy tale story if he's not under center and I think that was Kubiak's mindset when he made the decision to go back to Manning as the starter much to the dismay of some Bronco fans who thought Osweiler was the man going forward. Also the fact that Manning has postseason experience played into account for the decision to start him. In the playoff games against the Steelers and the Patriots, the offense under Manning's command showed some flashes and they did just enough to win both playoff games while the #1 defense continued to play at a high level.

Carolina Panthers

"Keep pounding" was the mantra all season long for the 2015 Carolina Panthers. Nobody thought they would've made the jump from a 7-8-1 record last season to a near perfect 15-1 record this season. And understandably so, Cam Newton was going to miss his go to receiver, Kelvin Benjamin for the season after a solid rookie year and Greg Olsen was projected to be his only good go to target while everyone else was just questionable. Everybody thought Newton was going to have a down year and the Panthers would not see any postseason action at all. Boy, did they prove everyone wrong. Cam Newton may be en route to receive league MVP honors, proving he's a threat in the air and on the ground. 3,000+ yards passing, 35 passing TDs, and 10 rushing TDs to go with those stats (link). It's not just "Supercam" who carried this team, but their opportune defense was another key component to their regular season success. The Panthers defense lead the league in takeaways, cornerback Josh Norman emerged into a premiere shutdown corner in his contract year, and linebacker, Luke Kuechly may give J.J. Watt a run for his money for Defensive Player of the Year. Head Coach, Ron Rivera did an excellent job in making this team play at a high level for all 16 games, but credit also goes to the coordinators. Offensive coordinator, Mike Shula continues to play a key role in Newton's development and defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott had this defense playing hard for 60 long minutes all game when the Panthers' offense decided to shut down after scoring a lot of points.

Now, despite the 15-1 record, a lot of critics are trying to take away their credit because they benefited from an easy schedule. If you look back at their schedule, definitely many teams would die to play that kind of a cupcake schedule. The NFC South? Mediocre. The AFC South? Garbage division this year. The NFC East? Yeah, that's a garbage division as well. But you can't completely blame the Panthers' success all on the schedule. The Panthers just went out there and did their job, to win games and ensure longevity to their season. Because the Panthers' offense played conservative after scoring a lot of points, most of their games were close and the final scoreboard doesn't always indicate how a game went. The game against the New York Giants was a particular example. They had them beat by 30+ points, but the Giants came back and Carolina still eventually won by a field goal. But enough of making fun of the Panthers' easy schedule, they had a pair of legitimate wins against the Seahawks in Seattle and the Packers, who by the way had Cam Newton and the Panthers' number in the previous seasons. To win against the Seahawks in Seattle is a huge accomplishment. When Newton lead the Panthers to a game-winning drive against the Seahawks with 12th man roaring at them, it proved to be a stepping stone for where they are now. In the playoffs, the Panthers have proven that their 15-1 record was no fluke, taking it to the 2x NFC champion, Seahawks and the #2 seeded, Arizona Cardinals and handling them with ease. If a team can manhandle two good teams in a powerhouse division such as the NFC West, especially in the playoffs, it speaks volumes and what we saw in both playoff games is a Panthers team with a lot of young players either in their prime or in their contract year that is hungry to hoist the Lombardi trophy and in the process, shut all their naysayers up.

Keys for the Broncos

Even though the marquee matchup of this Super Bowl is Peyton Manning vs. Cam Newton, the Denver defense will play a key role in containing Cam Newton. The Broncos defense faced some mobile quarterbacks in Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, guys who can move out of the pocket and extend plays with their legs. But, Newton is a different animal when it comes to scrambling quarterbacks. Wade Phillips has to draw up different blitzes and give out all kinds of different defensive alignments to confuse Newton. There has to be a defender in front to spy on the read option because once Cam finds a hole in the defense he'll take off running for a first down or a TD. If Newton gets his way on the ground, it'll open up opportunities for Jonathan Stewart and the Panthers' ground game to get going. The next key for the defense is containing tight end, Greg Olsen. Neutralizing Cam Newton's favorite target will do a lot of wonders for the Broncos secondary and open up some opportunities for Ware, Miller, and the rest of the D-line to wreak havoc in the pocket. Offensively, Peyton cannot be depended on to beat the Panthers defense because we all know what happened two years ago when Seattle crushed Denver 43-8. To ensure that doesn't happen again, the Broncos' running game with C.J. Anderson has to be established to give Peyton some opportunities for some play action and misdirection plays in Gary Kubiak's offensive system. The play of the O-line will be crucial for the offensive game plan to work out as Carolina's front seven poses a daunting matchup in front of them.

Keys for the Panthers

If anything, the Panthers are playing red hot football right now in the playoffs. If there's any indication of how good they are, they got off to fast starts against the Seahawks and the Cardinals and Cam Newton and the opportunistic defense of the Panthers has a lot to do with it. They'll have to repeat the same formula against this Broncos team. Now, this may be the Panthers' greatest test of the season so far because have never faced a defense as vaunted as the defense of the Broncos under Wade Phillips, so the key for them is to get the offense to a fast start. The Panthers' O-line has been so good in keeping Newton upright all season, so they're gonna need to hold up against the likes of Ware and Miller. Perhaps the biggest X-factor for the Panthers besides Newton and Olsen to look out for is Ted Ginn, Jr. Think of the role Percy Harvin played for the Seahawks against the Broncos two years ago. Harvin's presence allowed the Seahawks to open up a lot of opportunities on their offense. What Harvin was to the Seahawks is what Ginn's going to be for the Panthers. If he plays well, the Panthers offense will open things up. The Panthers have to make Peyton Manning beat them and not only do they have to start fast, they have to contain their running game. The Panthers' run defense has been good all season long, ranking 4th against the run (link). If they bottle up C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman in the run game, Manning is going to be a sitting duck and that'll create opportunities for Kuechly, Norman, and Kurt Coleman to make some plays defensively to get Manning rattled or have him commit some costly turnovers.

Prediction

This is always the tough part. The Broncos are going to do everything they can to have Peyton Manning ride out his Hall of Fame career into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion and their #1 defense is going to be carrying this team. The Panthers, despite their youth, a lot of these players are either in their prime or they are playing hard for a contract extension to stay with the teams. I see this as a low scoring affair, but I think the Panthers defense is just going to be too good for Peyton Manning. It's going to be like Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks all over again minus the blowout. I think Newton is going to do just enough against the Broncos' #1 defense, but the Panthers' defense is going to get all the headlines by shutting down the Broncos' running game and making Manning commit key turnovers that'll put Carolina's offense in good positions to score against the Broncos' defense.

Projected Final Score: DEN 13 CAR 23