NFL 2015: Playoffs: Super Bowl 50

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Super Bowl 50
Sunday, Feb 7
Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos, 6:30PM ET

Who will suffer the agony of another Super Bowl defeat?

Will it be...

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... or will it be...

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Hope we have a good game.

Ken Woodley is back, with a friend:

Panthers tragically win, 44-20. No, I don't think the line should be 24 points or anything, it's just that this game depends more than any other I can think of on four down rushers getting to Cam Newton, and I don't think they can do that consistently. There's enough of a run game and ability at misdirection for Carolina that I think they can move the ball successfully, and Peyton Manning is a corpse. Yes, he had one hilariously gawky first-down run in the AFCCG, but that doesn't change the fact the guy can barely move in the pocket and the Panthers LBs (Kuechly in particular) are just so fast an active that those balls are going to get picked off and taken back for scores.

I'm rooting for the Broncos out of pure divisional spite, but, unless Wade Philips has already started a series of dark rituals to create a game plan from beyond the aether, I have a really hard time seeing the Broncos (A) slowing down Cam and that offense and (B) getting any offense at all.

*Legion* wrote:

Ken Woodley is back, with a friend:

His friend ... is terrible. Ken needs to get back to the rapping.

Is that the Carolina version of Jay and Silent Bob?

I said I couldn't see a way that Denver could beat NE with a QB who can barely throw the ball anymore.. and lo and behold they did.. so I guess we can't really count them out in this SB..but for some reason this Carolina team reminds me a bit of Seattle 2 years ago and unfortunately I think that means another awful (for Denver fans) and boring (for everyone outside of NC) Super Bowl.

TheGameguru wrote:

...this Carolina team reminds me a bit of Seattle 2 years ago and unfortunately I think that means another awful (for Denver fans) and boring (for everyone outside of NC) Super Bowl.

Agreed, I sensed it as soon as Carolina curbstomped Arizona in the conference championship. Would love to be proven wrong. That awful Super Bowl two years ago was the first I got to watch at a legit "viewing party" with friends, and it was massively disappointing. We had nothing to do at the end except root for the records: biggest margin of victory, highest score, etc. I just want to see a competitive game, that's all.

Rooting for a monster blowout win for the Panthers because, of all the flavors in the world, I choose salt.

Panthers. Because I'm a Chicago fan and it'd be cool to see Tillman and Olsen get a ring.

cube wrote:

Panthers. Because I'm a Chicago fan and it'd be cool to see Tillman and Olsen get a ring.

^ this

Rooting for the Panthers, because after years of Peyton Manning tormenting the Jaguars in the AFC South, I would prefer to not see him ride off into the sunset with another ring.

Also, hard not to root for the team playing smash-mouth football. Anytime the run game can gain some ground in the PolianBall era, I am on board.

kaostheory wrote:
cube wrote:

Panthers. Because I'm a Chicago fan and it'd be cool to see Tillman and Olsen get a ring.

^ this

Don't forget Jared Allen!

All the players left Lovie behind and are now close to a ring!

With most people seemingly favoring the Panthers, a question comes to mind: how much (if any) would that equation change if the Denver QB was Brock Osweiler? Would the Broncos be more or less likely to win?

I think Denver would be better off. Just the threat of being able to throw down field has to change the coverage somewhat. Even in that Patriots game Manning looked pretty gimp armed. There was no second half offense. I think it was in the area of 7 passes for 30 yards and it would be hard to do worse than that.

Edit: Also random thought from the other thread:

garion333 wrote:

Bryan Stork was tipping the snap

Well, that certainly helps explain how Ware and Miller were getting the jump but not being offsides.

The O-line coach was fired and people in NE were crying scapegoat since he was working with with practically duct tape after all the injuries. However if he didn't notice this during the game would that be a firing offense, especially after the KC game last year?

Yeah, there is no way an OL coach can keep his job after that. I assume Stork is gone, too.

I can't think of a single reason that Denver has a chance to win outside of Peyton Manning accidentally stumbling across the Fountain of Youth somewhere in Muir Woods. My eyeballs, brain, guts, and heart all tell me Carolina in a blowout. It could be more or less over within the opening five minutes of the first quarter.

Rat Boy wrote:

I can't think of a single reason that Denver has a chance to win outside of Peyton Manning accidentally stumbling across the Fountain of Youth somewhere in Muir Woods. My eyeballs, brain, guts, and heart all tell me Carolina in a blowout. It could be more or less over within the opening five minutes of the first quarter.

Let's put it this way: at Buffalo Wild Wings, I'm not going to be stretching out my orders to last into the second half.

*Legion* wrote:

Ken Woodley is back, with a friend:

That video is to videos as Carson Palmer was to quarterbacking in the NFC championship game.

But, hey, #KeepPounding, right?

Anyway ... I just hope Carolina shows up Sunday. They fed off the fact all season that no one took them all that seriously. And now after the Cards win and all these predictions of a blowout and all of these "Hey, you know, Cam's kinda good" stories ... the last time I felt so sure about a Panthers playoff victory, Jake Delhomme turned the damn ball over six times.

Sorry. I'll climb out of my foxhole of despair about 10 p.m. Sunday if indeed Carolina wins. Until then, I'll be filling sandbags with dread and stocking up on existential MREs (chicken-wing flavor, of course; it is the Super Bowl, after all).

Jayhawker wrote:

Yeah, there is no way an OL coach can keep his job after that. I assume Stork is gone, too.

Doubtful. He's young (only 2nd year in the game) and is a very good center.

*Legion* wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

I can't think of a single reason that Denver has a chance to win outside of Peyton Manning accidentally stumbling across the Fountain of Youth somewhere in Muir Woods. My eyeballs, brain, guts, and heart all tell me Carolina in a blowout. It could be more or less over within the opening five minutes of the first quarter.

Let's put it this way: at Buffalo Wild Wings, I'm not going to be stretching out my orders to last into the second half.

Speaking of, I think a way has been discovered to stop Gronk:

Enix wrote:

But, hey, #KeepPounding, right?

Can we get an automatic ban for people who post hashtags on a forum?

Gumbie wrote:
Enix wrote:

But, hey, #KeepPounding, right?

Can we get an automatic ban for people who post hashtags on a forum? :)

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kaostheory wrote:
cube wrote:

Panthers. Because I'm a Chicago fan and it'd be cool to see Tillman and Olsen get a ring.

^ this

3rded.

garion333 wrote:

Don't forget Jared Allen!

Please let me.

As a Seahawks fan, I'm torn. I don't want the team that beat us to win, but I also can't root for the team that ripped our guts out more than any other throughout the 80's (the 90's don't count b/c we were turrbull).

I'll root for a fun game.

And try to coax folks in to doing some prop, score and board bets.

*Legion* wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

I can't think of a single reason that Denver has a chance to win outside of Peyton Manning accidentally stumbling across the Fountain of Youth somewhere in Muir Woods. My eyeballs, brain, guts, and heart all tell me Carolina in a blowout. It could be more or less over within the opening five minutes of the first quarter.

Let's put it this way: at Buffalo Wild Wings, I'm not going to be stretching out my orders to last into the second half.

I'm officially jumping on the "Denver can do it!" bandwagon as it appears I'll be all by myself.

troubleshot wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Don't forget Jared Allen!

Please let me.

Lengthy NY Times article:

Roger Goodell’s Unstoppable Football Machine
For all the revelations about its brutality, pro football is more popular and profitable than ever. How the N.F.L. commissioner and a group of billionaire owners have kept the league on offense.

Lengthy Barnwell piece:

You can imagine what this might do to a defense built around its edge rushers. Last time out, Miller and Ware had it relatively easy: They had to make it through a battered Patriots offensive line and attack a stationary target who was almost always going to be inside the pocket. With the Patriots exhibiting little ability or inclination to run the football, the two ends could afford to be aggressive in trying to target Brady. It worked.

This week, things could not be more different. While Newton can be statuesque in the pocket at times as he waits for somebody to get open, the Carolina rushing attack should leave Miller and Ware looking for shadows coming toward them at all times. Oher and Remmers can't block the two star pass-rushers one-on-one, but they won't have to do so, at least on a frequent basis. That's one of the ways Carolina has been able to get by with what looked like one of the worst offensive lines in the league on paper heading into the season, and why Newton has been so effective throwing the ball in the fourth quarter. His sack rate drops and his efficiency rises because opposing rushers must be physically and mentally exhausted by the hoops the Panthers make them run through to make plays in the backfield.

The truth is that the Broncos aren't an especially great fit for this Panthers offense. You'd want a defense who can stand up in short-yardage situations, and the Broncos are the second worst short-yardage run defense in the league, ahead of only Carolina. (Remember that when the camera pans over to Riverboat Ron before a fourth-and-short.) If you wanted to construct a defense that was designed to stop Carolina, you'd want penetrating interior linemen who could blow up plays in the backfield, rangy inside linebackers who could run with Newton and tight end Greg Olsen, and safeties who weren't going to get burned deep.

That isn't Denver.

I'm continuing to jump on the empty Denver bandwagon.

It's only a story because it's Johnny. When I threaten murder/suicide, nobody reads about it in the paper.

Crowley told police Manziel "restrained" in some manner and "led" her down a back stairway to the valet area.

"I was crying and begged the valet, 'Please don't let him take me. I'm scared for my life!'" she told police. The valet reportedly told her, "I don't know what to do" and let Manziel leave with her.

Sack up and stop him. We're not talking some 6-7 330 pound mountain of a man. He's a 5-11 punk manhandling a woman that's not up to doing the same thing to grown ass men.

I mean it's easy to be Internet tough guy and all, but a women begging and saying she's scared for her life ought to spark action.

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