Super Bowl 50 - Carolina Panthers v Denver Broncos (Photo : (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images))
In a season marred with many ups and downs, the Denver Broncos managed to defeat the seemingly unbeatable Carolina Panthers, 24-10, in Super Bowl 50. While many experts have stated that this is due to Denver's defense, there are other factors that can be looked at.
One of the biggest reasons why Denver came out victorious was the poor play of Cam Newton, ESPN reported. The league MVP was a shell of himself almost all game and only was able to muster below average stats.
While the stat numbers could be attributed to Denver's defense, Netwon got little help from his offense teammates.
Both tacklers, Michael Oher and Mike Remmers, were trying to catch up to Denver's faster, more agile defense all night long. This is evident as Netwon was sacked 6 times and was under pressure practically the entire time he was on the field.
Netwon's receivers also dropped several catches which could have led to points, according to Yahoo Sports. The Panther's number one receiver, Ted Ginn, dropped several passes, one of which was deep into the Denver territory. The pass had hit Ginn in the hands and caused an interception which ended the drive.
Another big reason for Denver's success is consistent clean play. Denver only committed 6 penalties the whole game for only 51 yards, which is half of what happened to Carolina.
It seemed also that Carolina's defense had begun to lose heart near the end of the fourth quarter. It was here in which the team committed the most penalties.
Denver also got momentum from the great performance form their special teams unit.
Kicker Graham Gano hit all three of his field goals which put the game out of reach.
Also on special teams, punt returner Jordan Norwood set a Super Bowl record for the longest punt return at 61 yards in one return. The return was crucial as it set up one of Gano's field goals.
All in all it was a team effort on both sides of the field for Denver that allowed the team to come out victorious when most odds makers pegged them to lose.
Watch team captain Peyton Manning celebrate in what could be the last game of his career:
