Super Bowl 50 Recap

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The 2015 NFL season officially concluded with Sunday's bout, but before I go into offseason/draft mode, let me get the obligatory gut reactions out of the way. Before I get into the actual game, holy s*** Thomas Davis is one tough SOB.

Peyton Manning

The Sheriff gets to go out on top, if he so chooses. It's great for the sport to see one of the best and most respected players in the history of the game to ride off into the sunset like Peyton Manning did. With that being said, this game does nothing to influence my opinion on him, and it shouldn't for anybody. Peyton Manning is one of the best players in NFL history regardless of what happened in Super Bowl 50, that's just a fact. Even though he was average at best in the Super Bowl, it is fitting that after so many years of Peyton getting the blame for his team not stepping up with him (not saying he was always perfect, but just as an example the Broncos/Ravens game with the Joe Flacco Hail Mary, if it was batted down then that's a win for Manning and the Broncos), he finally gets carried to a win of massive proportions. Peyton deserves it, and I'm thrilled for him, but once again, this changes absolutely nothing about his legacy.

Cam Newton

Every person tearing into Cam right now needs to really take a look at themselves. If you haven't seen Newton's post-game press conference, it is not close to as bad as everybody is making it out to be. Also when he left, it seemed like it was because he heard a Broncos player talking badly about him, but no matter what the reason was, the real question is who cares? It's a post game presser, after he lost the biggest game of his life, in which he was probably extremely disappointed in himself. He's an emotional person. He plays the game with his heart on his sleeve, and because of that he has extremely high highs, and really low lows. For some reason, that pisses a huge portion of people off. I honestly have no idea why, I guess people just love to hate. It's toxic though, and when you go on Twitter or somewhere on the internet and say unforgivable things about a human being who has fun playing a game, then you should really reexamine your entire life.

I feel like I needed to say all of that. Now onto Cam's actual performance and the fallout from that. Cam was rattled for sure, and it's not a surprise that he had one of his worst games of the year against this Denver defense. Look at what they have done to Brady, Roethlisberger and Rodgers this season. Miller and Ware just kept getting to Cam, and the vertical passing game the Panthers like to run didn't fare well all game. The entire Panthers offense looked off all game, Cam included, and it was just an old school ass kicking. What troubles me is Cam not jumping on Von Miller's second forced fumble. I've watched the play several times and even though it wasn't as bad as most think, he still should have jumped on it. It's the Super Bowl, you can't hold back at any point in the game. Cam has a lot to learn from this game, but I don't think any of it is about his attitude. Football needs somebody like Cam. Somebody who won't give cookie cutter answers to every question, somebody who actually has fun playing a GAME, and somebody who is in love with football so much and plays with such passion that he sometimes can't control his emotions. This isn't a bad thing football world, it's great.

Von Miller

John Elway is just going to end up giving Miller a blank check with his name on it, right? Von has a chance to become the highest paid player in football, and it's well deserved to. No matter what team he goes up against, he wreaks havoc. Remmers had no chance the entire day, and time and time again Miller would be right in the pocket blowing up the play. Between his performance in the AFC Championship Game, and in the Super Bowl, Miller consistently flashes unprecedented talent. The biggest moment of this Super Bowl that will stick with me for a really long time was his first forced fumble. He just ripped it out of Cam Newton's hand. He didn't hit the ball out, he took it away from him. My jaw just dropped. The entire play was such a beautiful display of power, speed, bend and  He's just a stellar all-around player.

Marshawn Lynch

HE RETIRED. ON TWITTER. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUPER BOWL. WITH A PICTURE OF CLEATS HANGING. HE IS AMAZING. I don't care if you hate the Seahawks, you gotta respect Marshawn Lynch. He isn't influenced by anybody else, he plays by his own rules and you have to respect that. Oh, and this isn't at all a hot take, but it's still worth mentioning, he should be in the Hall Of Fame. He has the numbers, he was one of, if not the best running back in the league at a certain point, and he was consistently dominant throughout his career. He also had so many wow moments, it seems like each game I would say at least a handful of times "How is he still up?". If Peyton Manning retires, he'll get all the headlines, but we'll already be without another great for the 2016 season.

Super Bowl 2016 Preview

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I'm seeing a lot of people who are absolutely shocked by the teams playing in the Super Bowl. Don't get me wrong, even though I thought Denver and Caroline would win, I'm still a little surprised too. I don't know why though. These are the top seeds from each conference, Denver's defense is one of the best, most complete defenses I have seen in years (sorry Seattle) full of game changing playmakers at every level of the defense. Carolina is such a complete team across the board. Sure, Cam Newton doesn't have the best weapons, but then again they just put up 49 points against one of the best defenses in the league in Arizona, and their defense is also stacked at every level. I truly believe that this is the best outcome of teams possible for the Super Bowl this year. The storylines to sell to the public are endless. On the field and off the field, media members are licking their chops at the opportunity to talk about "The Sheriff's Last Rodeo" or "Dabbin' to Greatness" whatever the ridiculous headlines will be. All of that will be fun, but I prefer to focus on the field, and damn are their some amazing battles that will happen in Santa Clara less than two weeks from today.

Thomas Davis Vs. A Broken Arm
I'll mostly be looking at specific match-ups, but I need to talk about TD first. Like most of you, I want nothing more than to see #58 play in the Super Bowl just two weeks after breaking his arm. He is one of the best guys in football, and he's also one of the most talented linebackers in the league. A few plays before his injury, he read a toss to David Johnson, shed a block, and tackled him for a huge loss. Look it up if you have time, I'm sure it won't be hard to find because it was spectacular. I don't know any other player in the league that makes that tackle, apart from maybe the guy he plays beside. He's an incredible player, and it would be a treat for any and every fan to see him play in the Super Bowl.

Luke Kuechly Vs. Peyton Manning
This is the match-up I'm most looking forward too. I know, it's not as straight forward as the other ones, Kuechly will have a big impact in the run game and Peyton won't target Luke that often. What I'm looking forward to is the pre snap reads, and the games best middle linebacker leading his defense against probably the smartest player in NFL history. LK is the leader of one of the best defenses in the NFL this season, and he's an incredible smart player too. Even though Peyton doesn't make as many pre-snap adjustments as he would in past years, he is still one of the best at finding the holes in your defense, and for Kuechly, he has to make sure that his defense limits the mistakes they make or Manning even in his current state will make them pay. Sidebar, it would be cool to see Kuechly go three straight games with a pick-6.

Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei Vs. Interior Broncos Offensive Line
Apart from Carolina's linebackers, their defensive tackles are what make this defense go. Short has been nothing short of spectacular this season, and Lotulelei has been great in his own right when healthy. Denver doesn't have the strongest offensive line, and there is a lot of potential here for KS and SL to have a field day. To counteract what I'm expecting to be a lot of interior pressure on Manning, they will have to get the run game going early or Manning will have to rely on a lot of quick throws. I'd expect some screens because avoiding the middle of the field should be a priority in the pass game.

Emmanuel Sanders Vs. Robert McClain
This is a bit of an assumption on my part, but I'm expecting Josh Norman to shadow Demaryius Thomas and McClain to mostly guard Sanders. If so, Sanders has a chance at having a big day. From what I've seen of McClain this year (granted not too much), he's been solid; but I'm of the belief that Emmanuel Sanders is actually the best Broncos receiver. He may not have the size or reputation of Thomas, but his route running and reliability, to go along with athletic ability makes him really stand out. If Peyton is going to try and attack a specific part of this Carolina defense, this is where I expect him to look. Sanders can win this battle and unless you're always double teaming him (which brings up other problems throughout the defense) then he will have his shot at a monster day. It just comes down to can Peyton get him the ball, and I think he can.

Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware Vs. Panthers Offensive Tackles
For whoever witnessed the brutality that Ware and Miller laid down against the Patriots in the AFC Championship game, I don't have to go into detail about how good these two are. The Panthers O-line has been really good as a group this year, and they have studs in the middle (Norwell, Kalil and Turner), but Cam Newton has made up for a lot of insufficiencies at tackle. I was completely wrong about Oher this season, as he has more than held his own at tackle, but in pass protection, he still hasn't been the ideal LT. Miller and Ware punished a QB who is known for getting rid of the ball as quickly as possible (among other things). If Carolina doesn't give their tackles help in pass protection, whether that's with TE's or running back's chip blocking, then Cam could be in real trouble.

Broncos Front 7 Vs. Panthers Run Game
Cam Newton plays a huge role in the success of Carolina's run game. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. But between Malik Jackson, Sylvester Williams, Derek Wolfe, Von Miller, Brandon Marshall, Danny Trevathan and DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos have the athletic ability to contain Newton and Stewart. I don't have a ton of analysis on this specific battle, because these are just two terrific groups of players that execute extremely well. The fallout of this battle in the trenches will be huge though. If Carolina can get their run game going early, then their entire offense will open up, and it will allow Mike Shula (Panthers offensive coordinator) to open up the playbook and start to get really creative so he can stifle Denver's defense. On the other side of the spectrum, if Denver shuts down their run game, I can easily see Cam and the offense start to pinch and try and force plays, and when you're facing the best defense in the league you can't force anything or they will make you pay. Whoever wins this battle should have a big advantage in the Super Bowl, and it could be the key to winning.

Peyton Manning Vs. Turnovers
All I can think of is the Seattle Super Bowl a couple years ago. Manning was facing off against a young, hungry defense, and he got killed in the turnover battle. Seattle led the league in takeaways that season, and Carolina leads the league in takeaways this season. The Panthers embarrassed the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game, and it was mostly due to the fact that Arizona couldn't stop themselves from turning the ball over. With that being said, the current Broncos offense has Peyton playing a very safe game. He is making some throws, but they are to the outside in single coverage for the most part, and when he misses he is missing high so the cornerback doesn't have a chance at it. If Peyton is going to miss, that's where you want him to miss. If we get the Peyton Manning of early season, then it's already game over. But if we get the Manning who has played surprisingly well over the past couple weeks, the one who is limiting his mistakes and running a meticulous, take what they give you offense, then this is going to be one hell of a game.

Prediction
I went 2-0 last week, and am now 5-5 in the playoffs. So this is the tie breaker. The spread as of now is CAR -6. This is a really, really tough line. Carolina seems like the easy bet, but Denver has only lost one game by more than 7 points this season, and that was the game against Kansas City where Peyton Manning imploded. As of now, I'm predicting a really close game no matter who ends up on top, so I'll go Denver. If any quarterback can learn from his mistakes, it's Peyton Manning, and I don't see a repeat of Super Bowl 48 happening again. Although if I'm being forced to pick a winner straight up, then I'll go with Carolina.

My Pick: Denver +6

Offseason Outlook 2015: Carolina Panthers

Offense

After the NFL draft this the first thing I said about the Carolina Panthers was "Are they trying get Cam Newton killed?" and I was serious. I don't have a problem with the actual players Carolina drafted, but what are they doing for their left tackle? Michael Oher is not going to be a smart option there. He doesn't have the foot speed to keep up with fast edge rushers, and it's going to cause a lot of problems for Super Cam. The rest of their O-line isn't awful, it's not good but it's not the worst. Ryan Kalil is a very good center, but every other position is average at best. Left guard is Andrew Norwell, right guard is Trai Turner, and right tackle is Mike Remmers. Trai Turner might be solid next season, but the other two players are replacement level. The biggest issue I have with this O-line comes back to left tackle. I would have expected them to make a hard play for La'el Collins after the draft, but nothing happened. The other position group that worried me was wide receiver, but Carolina has done a solid job over the past couple of years to fix that. Kelvin Benjamin had a terrific rookie season, and he could firmly establish himself as a solid number one wide receiver this season. The Panthers also drafted wide receiver Devin Funchess in the second round. He doesn't have elite athleticism, but he is a huge WR (6'4/232 lbs) and is another good option for Newton. The Panthers have a lot of big and tall pass catchers for Newton, who has been known to overthrow some of his targets throughout his career. Benjamin is 6'5, Funchess is 6'4, and Greg Olsen is 6'6. They are drafting to fit their QB, but they still lack a real speed wideout to stretch the field. Ted Ginn could fill that void, but he doesn't have the route running skills to do so. Philly Brown might be able to develop into that role, but he's still a question mark at this point in time. Also, keep an eye on Jarrett Boykin who had a rough season with the Packers in 2014, but he has talent and could make an impact on this team. At tight end, the Panthers have Greg Olsen, who as I mentioned earlier is a big strong target for Newton. He is one of the most consistent tight ends in football, and is a great pass catcher and blocker too. I am a huge fan of Cam Newton. I think he constantly bears the brunt for Carolina's struggles, but he has had very little to work with in his career. He is the best short yardage QB in the NFL and it's really not close, he's built like a truck, and he has developed exponentially as a passer. In the backfield, Cam has Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. Stewart was terrific when he was healthy last season, and he made the most out of a struggling O-line. He's very shifty, and surprisingly great at breaking tackles. Tolbert is used as a fullback a lot of the time, which he's great at, but as a runner he's very solid too and can be a great change of pace back from Stewart. This offense is carried by Cam Newton and Greg Olsen. They were just inside the top 20 offenses in the NFL in 2014, and I expect a similar year in 2015 too. Carolina needs to invest in some protection for Newton, because even though he is an enormous, athletic, adonis of a human being, he can't play offensive tackle and quarterback. Wait can he? I'll talk to Ron Rivera and check, but I don't think he can.

Defense

The first round of the 2015 NFL draft wasn't all that shocking to me, except for the Carolina Panthers pick. I knew they like Shaq Thompson, as they had him in for pre-draft visits, but with a linebacker core of Kuechly and Davis, I didn't think they needed to spend another first round pick there. I'm a big fan of Thompson, especially in this defense, he could be a great weak side linebacker. In the middle, the Panthers have a player who I think is the second best defensive player in the NFL, Luke Kuechly (Although the gap from number 1 and 2 is pretty big). Luke is so fun to watch, he has ridiculous lateral quickness, and terrific instincts to go along with great coverage skills and run stuffing skills. Alongside Kuechly and Thompson, Carolina also has Thomas Davis. He might be overshadowed by Luke, but he is elite in his own right. He is a terrific all around player, and is a leader of this defense. Talk to any Panthers fan, they love them some Thomas Davis in Carolina, and rightfully so. On the defensive line, the Panthers linebackers rely on their two star defensive tackles to take on blockers and create interior pressure. Star Lotulelei and Kawaan Short both complement each other so well, as Star is the better run stuffer, and Short is the better pass rusher. Bothe players have well rounded games though, and are big difference makers in this defense. Alongside the defensive tackles, Carolina has a terrific defensive end in Charles Johnson. He has spent his entire career with Carolina, and is one of the most consistent pass rushers in football. Expect roughly 10 sacks out of him in 2015, to go along with a constant motor and a ton of pressures. Opposite Johnson, Kony Ealy will have his chance to take the starting job, and while he is talented, he struggled last season and needs to play better this coming year. The Panthers secondary is the weakest part of their defense, but it's not horrible. Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere were both good cornerbacks last season, and are solid starters to have going into the season. The Panthers also signed Charles Tillman, and if he is healthy, he could be a huge game changer for a team that should be looking to force more turnovers this coming season. At safety, Carolina needs to look for eventual upgrades as Roman Harper and Tre Boston are both solid but unspectacular players. Boston could end up being an above average starter as he's still young, but Harper is on the downswing of his career and needs to be replaced. This defense will be better in 2015. Bank on it. There is too much talent for it not to be a top 16 defense, which it wasn't last season. I am very excited to watch the deadly linebacker trio put in work, and along with their stout defensive line, Panthers fans should feel good about their defense. They should look more like their 2013 defense (2nd best in the NFL) than last years defense.

My quick analysis about the 2015 Carolina Panthers: There is a lot to love about this team, and a lot to hate. In the love column, linebackers, defensive line, and Cam Newton. In the hate column, offensive line, safeties, and the lack of a field stretching wide receiver. With that being said, they still have a very good chance to represent the NFC South in the playoffs. This division is the weakest in football, and they have the best defense out of all four teams. I predict them to just miss the playoffs, as I think they will get beat out by the Atlanta Falcons. They play the Falcons twice in their last 4 weeks, and 4 of their last 5 games are divisional games. Based off of that, the Panthers season will come down to the last five weeks, and if they have a good run to end the season, they will be in a good position to win their division for the third consecutive year.