GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 10: CBS analyst Bill Cowher on the sidelines during the NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 10, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Super Bowl 50 is just hours away, with the pregame show beginning at 2 p.m. eastern and the game kicking off at around 6:30 on CBS. Bill Cowher, one of the CBS studio analysts, did a lengthy interview with AwfulAnnouncing about his broadcasting career. He also discussed the three most important match-ups to watch in Super Bowl 50 between the Panthers and Broncos.

New Orleans Saints v Carolina Panthers

Mike Shula vs Wade Phillips

“Because Denver got here with their defense, I think you have to look at Carolina and the dynamic play of Cam Newton,” Cowher told The Comeback. “The sons of two head football coaches matching wits against each other.”

The Comeback’s Matt Zemek has more on that dynamic as well, calling it the biggest story of the Big Game.

Shula, the son of legendary Super Bowl winning coach Don Shula, has taken Newton and helped elevate his game to another level, winning the MVP and offensive player of the year awards at Saturday night’s NFL Honors show from Santa Clara.

Shula has made sure that the defense gets different looks with Newton, Cowher said, whether that’s throwing from the pocket or the designed runs that makes Newton and this Panthers offense so dangerous.

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 24:  Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots fails to make a catch in the fourth quarter against  Aqib Talib #21 and  Shiloh Keo #33 of the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.  (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Phillips, the son of longtime Houston and New Orleans coach Bum Phillips, never reached the Super Bowl in his 12 years in interim and head coaching stops with New Orleans, Denver, Buffalo, Dallas and Houston. But his simplistic, downhill, attacking defense was the top ranked unit in the NFL this year and will try to give Newton and the Carolina offense all it can handle.

“We saw what Wade Phillips did to Tom Brady,” Cowher said, referring to the four sacks and two turnovers, and we can expect some surprises in Phillips’ game plan for his Denver defense.

 

Baltimore Ravens v Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning vs Luke Kuechly

“How can you not look at the storied career of Peyton Manning and wonder if this is his last game,” Cowher asked.

If this is indeed Manning’s last game, he’s going to have to overcome a very ferocious Carolina defense led by Kuechly, one of the top defenders in the NFL. Kuechly is in charge of Carolina’s defensive signals, and he’ll be going up against Manning, who revolutionized quarterback audibles and changing plays at the line of scrimmage to try to find a weakness or a favorable matchup in the defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Carolina Panthers

“Kuechley will be staring down five yards apart from Manning, who for years has played that game against opposing defenses with who’s going to audible to what,” Cowher said.

Cowher is very excited to see the moves and countermoves that will go on between these two players all night at the line. While Manning is clearly not as physically gifted as he once was, he still seems to have a strong mental grasp of the game. With Kuechly at the top of his game, those two players will be key pieces in the proverbial chess match between Denver’s offense and Carolina’s defense.

 

Divisional Playoffs - San Diego Chargers v Denver Broncos

Denver Wide Receivers vs Carolina’s 2nd Cornerback

Carolina’s all-pro cornerback Josh Norman has turned into one of those elite shutdown defensive backs who can take one side of the field out of the equation for opposing offenses, like Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman have done in the past. So Cowher said that Denver needs to excel against whoever plays cornerback on the other side for Carolina, whether that’s Robert McClain, Cortland Finnegan or someone else.

“Will Peyton go opposite Norman and see who he takes out,” Cowher asked. “Maybe it’s Demaryius Thomas or maybe it’s Emmanuel Sanders that may have to step up and make plays down the field.”

Thomas caught just six total balls for 52 yards in Denver’s two playoff games this season, and Cowher said that he’s looked slow in the postseason so far.

“Is this the game he steps up?”

If not, Denver will have to try to isolate Sanders on McClain or Finnegan because the Broncos can’t afford to have both of their top wide receivers neutralized on Sunday.

 

Denver Broncos v Kansas City Chiefs

Other Keys

For Denver, Cowher thinks that running back C.J. Anderson is going to be their primary ball-carrier. “You’re going to have to be able to run the football, and he’s going to get the bulk of the work,” Cowher said.

After Ronnie Hillman’s lost fumble against New England two weeks ago, it seems like Cowher thinks they’ll be riding Anderson. For Carolina, Cowher focused on Ted Ginn Jr. because of the gadget plays Shula uses him in, including reverses. Lastly, with so many of the recent closely contested Super Bowls over the last several years, Cowher said that Denver kicker Brandon McManus, one of the league’s best, could have a big impact on the game.

Look for Cowher and the rest of the CBS studio crew live from Santa Clara starting at 2 p.m. eastern with the big game quickly approaching.

About Shlomo Sprung

Shlomo Sprung is a writer and columnist for Awful Announcing. He's also a senior contributor at Forbes and writes at FanSided, SI Knicks, YES Network and other publications.. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, Business Insider, Sporting News and Major League Baseball. You should follow him on Twitter.