Super Bowl 50 is more than a week away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start breaking down the top battles that will take place before and on game day. Some are straight X’s and O’s. Others are more, well, shall we say sociological. Such is life in the crazy world of the NFL.
Anyway, what follows below is what you could call an early Super Bowl 50 preview.
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1. Von Miller vs. Mike Remmers
This could even be expanded to Denver’s No. 1 defense vs. the explosive Carolina offense. Or Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, coming off a brilliant week of schemes and play calls, vs. Cam Newton’s sharp mind and precise tools.
But if you break it all down and look at all the matchups and numbers a clear picture emerges: for the Broncos to pull off the upset they’re going to have to do to Newton what they did to Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game. And in order to do that they’re going to need another monster performance from the league’s No. 1 crotch grabber, Von Miller.
The NFL can fine him, but nothing will ever stop Von Miller from dancing sensually https://t.co/6046INhS1K pic.twitter.com/wpwLLJ8UZm
— SB Nation NFL 🏈 (@SBNationNFL) January 24, 2016
By now we’re all familiar with the formula the Broncos used to stifle Brady. Generate pressure without blitzing so that everyone else can be dropped into coverage. This, of course, was only possible because they had beasts like Von Miller — four hurries and three sacks — and DeMarcus Ware — three hurries, one sack — closing in on Brady from both sides.
Things won’t be as easy for Denver next weekend. Newton is much harder to reach and bring down. Also, Carolina doesn’t go with empty backfields nearly as often as New England does and will have no problem using a running back or tight end to help chip Miller and Ware.
What Carolina does have, though, is an incredibly weak right tackle, which just happens to be the side of the field that Miller prefers to rush from. Mike Remmers is a 26-year-old journeyman who went undrafted in 2012. According to Pro Football Focus, 59 offensive tackles finished the season with better grades than him. As if that wasn’t bad enough, this season Miller led the league by pressuring opposing quarterbacks 70 times from that side (also per PFF).
Von Miller is a nightmare pic.twitter.com/3Hlz6Mi9SR
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 24, 2016
The Panthers are favored by nearly a touchdown, and for good reason. But the scenarios in which the Broncos, led by a relentless defense, pull off the upset do exist. Those scenarios all start with Von Miller channeling his inner JJ Watt.
2. Demaryius Thomas vs. Robert McClain
Then again, no matter how great Miller and the rest of that unit plays, the Broncos are still going to have to score points (#HotTake right there). Probably at least 24. Peyton Manning can no longer pick defenses apart of sling the ball all over the field. At this point he’s just trying to avoid turnovers (more on that below) and take advantage of whatever mismatch he can.
Against the Panthers that means avoiding the blanket that is Josh Norman. Quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 54 when throwing at Norman this season, according to PFF. He’ll likely spend the majority of his time chasing around the more steady Emmanuel Sanders. That will leave Robert McClain, who wasn’t even on the Panthers’ roster early this season, on Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas has had trouble holding on to balls this season. But he remains a physical marvel who can break a play at any time. The Broncos will need a few from someone on the offensive side of things next Sunday. Right now it seems like Thomas is their best bet. (And if Norman lines up across from the more physical Thomas, expect Sanders to run free, if Manning can hit him.)
3. Peyton Manning’s Floaters vs. Luke Kuechly’s range
No linebacker in the league is more adept at reading a quarterback’s eyes, jumping the throw, reeling it in and then taking it back the other way than Luke Kuechly. He’s returned interceptions for touchdowns in each of the Panthers’ last two games. He did it once in the regular season — against Dallas — too.
https://twitter.com/NFLIive/status/670010226423238657
Kuechly is a blur going sideline to sideline, and his mind might move even faster. None of that bodes well for Peyton Manning, whose throws these days flutter more than a wounded bird.
Tosses like the one below where common occurrences for the Sheriff this season. And while he’s been serviceable during the playoffs, he also hasn’t had to face a defense as stout as Carolina’s.
Remember what happened last time Manning faced a strong and vicious defense in a Super Bowl?
And that was two years ago when his right arm still had some strength. (Maybe.)
4. Hot Takes vs. Straw Men
Get ready for an entire week of Cam Newton-themed debates. Is the fact that he’s always dancing and preening disrespectful? Is it racist to take issue with the way he acts on the field? Are there actually people — other than a bitter letter-to-the-editor writing mother — who have a problem with how Newton plays, or are those just straw men constructed and placed on a platter for sportswriters to lambast?
Just been that kind of day. pic.twitter.com/6YPapYnBNH
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2016
And none of this even touches on the third rail of him being “the blackest” quarterback to have ever played in the Super Bowl.
The week leading up to the Super Bowl is always a long one. But the media needs feeding. If you like race talk, this could be interesting and a lot of fun. If you prefer to consume sports by solely focusing on the actual field, well, you’re not going to love the next 10 days.
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5. Cam Newton vs. the NFL’s No. 1 D
Okay so this isn’t technically a 1-on-1 battle, but in a way, it is. Plus this is what the Super Bowl all comes down to. Cam was the NFL’s best player during the regular season and he continues to perform at an otherworldly level during the playoffs. The numbers are just ridiculous. He’s now accounted for 50 touchdowns (38 through the air and 12 ground) and has only been picked off 11 times. Before the snap he’s as cool and collected as Tom Brady. He has the arm strength and accuracy of Ben Roethlisberger. He has a running style reminiscent of Marshawn Lynch.
On his way to the Super Bowl, Cam Newton ran over Chris Clemons. https://t.co/9Gv0RPUaeO pic.twitter.com/0fKwQAOHmD
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) January 25, 2016
No team has had an answer for him all year. The Broncos’ defense is fantastic. But to beat the Panthers that unit is going to have to be even better than it was against New England. That’s a tall task, and, given how dominant Newton has been, it’s hard to see Denver pulling that off.
If Newton is great next week he’ll walk off the field as a champion. If he’s merely good he probably will, too. That means it’s all on him. As long as he doesn’t choke, the Panthers should be able to pull of their first Super Bowl win.
