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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
DJ Gallo (game commentary) with Bryan Armen Graham and Les Carpenter at Levi's Stadium, and Matt Cleary in Sydney

Super Bowl 50: Carolina Panthers 10-24 Denver Broncos – as it happened

Ryan Harris celebrates the Broncos’ victory
Ryan Harris celebrates the Broncos’ victory. Photograph: Al Bello/Getty Images

Steph Curry’s skull tweet is as good a way as any to wrap it up.

Thanks for following along. Here’s your wrap-up for everything that happened in Super Bowl 50.

Congratulations to the Broncos. Congratulations to Peyton Manning.

See you all next year. Maybe without Peyton Manning for the first time since liveblogs, Twitter or Facebook were invented.

Von Miller is the Super Bowl MVP. He is an inspiration to all those with glasses who said they could never be athletes.

Updated

Congratulations to Roger Goodell on the Patriots not winning the Super Bowl. This is all he could have wanted in the 2015-2016 season.

A balding father in his late 30s who is drinking a lot of beer tonight? Peyton Manning is the everyman. No wonder he’s so popular.

I don’t see this one catching on.

Oh, no. Here we go.

Manning wouldn’t say on the field if he’s retiring. I guess there’s still a chance he returns?

Either way, credit Brock Osweiler for not smacking him over the back of his head with a chair.

Denver is your Super Bowl 50 champion!

The Broncos defense was the story of the game, but Peyton Manning retiring a champion will be the story of the game, if that makes sense.

Broncos 24-10 Panthers, 1:00, 4th quarter

Facing 3rd-and-7 from their own 40, C.J. Anderson goes five yards. Denver has to punt, but there’s less than 90 second left in the game and Carolina is out of timeouts.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, etc.

Updated

Broncos 24-10 Panthers, 2:21, 4th quarter

Newton sacked for the seventh time in this game, second time by Demarcus Ware. It’s now 4th and 24 from their own 6. They’re punting.

Cam. Cam, Cam, Cam, Cam. Cam. This is bad.

Two-point conversion! Broncos 24-10 Panthers, 3:08, 4th quarter

Broncos get two more on a Manning pass to Bennie Fowler. Carolina will be out of its misery in just 3:08.

The touchdown was reviewed and confirmed. Pretty much everything Carolina did this game should not be reviewed because it will be too hard to watch.

Touchdown! C.J. Anderson scores!

C.J. Anderson goes up the middle for 2 yards to give Denver a 22-10 lead with 3:08 left. They’re now going for two.

Here is Newton’s fumble and non-attempt at a recovery. Here is also Von Miller clinching Super Bowl MVP.

Newton fumbles!

Denver’s ball on Carolina’s 16 after Newton is stripped while trying to throw on 3rd down.

The ball was loose at Newton’s feet and he hesitated diving for it. Weird.

Broncos 16-10 Panthers, 4:51, 4th quarter

Hey. It’s me again. The guy who updates you when the teams go three-and-out. Denver just did that again and now they’re punting.

Carolina will start at their 24. There is less than 5 minutes left, which means the Panthers are soon going to have to think about no punting.

As bad as Peyton Manning has been tonight his 141 passing yards have zoomed past the 123 for which former Bronco quarterback and now team president John Elway threw in Super Bowl XXXII. In that game Elway completed just 12 of 22 passes. Manning is 13 for 23. It’s shocking how similar both those nights were for Hall of Fame quarterbacks close to the end.

On that night, Elway won his first Super Bowl by handing the ball to running back Terrell Davis who thundered for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Manning doesn’t have a Terrell Davis, though CJ Anderson does have a respectable 76 yards through about 80% of regulation.

Manning might have to add to those yardage totals if the Broncos are to put this game away. Let’s see if they have one last drive in them.

I understand football. I also understand entertainment.

Broncos 16-10 Panthers, 7:46, 4th quarter

Carolina goes three-and-out and will punt. Denver will start at the 25. Please stay tuned for future punting updates.

Both of these teams kind of deserve to lose or at least not win. This is ugly football with 100 million people watching. Hopefully your Super Bowl party spread is good, at least.

Broncos 16-10 Panthers, 9:07, 4th quarter

Broncos are punting from the 27 after going three and out. Ginn fielded the punt and ran out of bounds at Carolina’s 27, adding to his record of running out of bounds in the Super Bowl (I’m guessing).

BREAKING NEWS: Looks like Marshawn Lynch just retired in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.

The conspiracy theories have begun!

Field goal! Broncos 16-10 Panthers, 10:21, 4th quarter

The Panthers are back to within a single score.

How many people will be very sad if Manning loses his final game on a late pick-six?

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 10:26, 4th quarter

Carolina. Stalls out. Again.

After getting their fifth pre-snap penalty of the game, Newton and Ginn can’t connect. Now it’s Gano from 39 yards.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 12:00, 4th quarter

Johnathan Stewart is running hard and has Carolina down to Denver’s 19.

Yes, he’s apparently unhurt again.

The Broncos enter the fourth quarter with a 16-7 lead and a chance at a unique – if dubious – historical achievement.

Denver is on pace to become the first ever team to win the Super Bowl without scoring an offensive touchdown. So far their points have come on a Malik Jackson fumble recovery and three Brandon McManus field goals.

Only five of the previous 98 teams to play in the Super Bowl failed to finish with at least one offensive score – and each of them were losers: the Giants (Super Bowl XXXV), Cincinnati (XXIII), Minnesota (IX), Washington (VII) and Miami (VI).

Fumble by Manning!

As Manning was stepping to throw on 3rd and 14, the ball was knocked from his hand. Carolina recovers.

The fact that Manning has had a great career and that this may be his last game doesn’t change the fact that he’s been pretty awful tonight.

12-for-21, 139 yards, interception, fumble, 0-for-3 in the red zone.

Our Super Bowl novice in Sydney writes:

So, the third quarter, well … bit of a punish wasn’t it? Cam Newton flung a couple of hot hamburgers and that was exciting stuff. But his kicker missed a shot and Denver’s dude landed one and that was about it. For a fair while it was actually really, really boring.

Well, it wasn’t boring. It’s still better than working, watching a game of footy on the couch and gibbering about it. And there were some pretty good bits. Newton unleashed a mighty missile that Brown took over his head leaping backwards, a super play. Then Newton flung another one that one of his guys dropped and a Broncos man caught, and then dropped, and a Panthers man fell on the ball to give his team possession, I think, and a gain of however many yards.

Broncos man CJ Anderson did some running and all the Broncos offensive men went along downfield with him, all of them, in a rolling maul like they have in rugby. So that was quite good. You’d think they’d do that a bit more, surround the running back with all the men, and just roll on downfield. A trick play, maybe, like a ruse.

Otherwise … the Broncos sacked Newton. The Panthers sacked Manning. Few blokes kicked. Fair bit of bashing and barging. And after 45 minutes of footy action, here we are - Denver Broncos 16 lead Carolina Panthers 7.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 14:52 4th quarter

Emmanuel Sanders gets a first down for Denver and then Carolina decides to continue helping their opponent by tacking on a penalty at the end of the play. Denver is to the Carolina 42.

I guess this is why cities like Buffalo, Cleveland and Detroit have seen a drop in population:

End of the 3rd quarter: Broncos 16-7 Panthers

My sense at halftime was that Carolina would improve in the second half and that Denver’s lead wasn’t big enough for how poorly Carolina had paid.

Now the Broncos have a two-score lead and Carolina looks even worse. As always, never listen to anything I say.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 0:19, 3rd quarter

Carolina has to punt, again, after Newton gets sacked on third down. Denver will takeover at their own 32.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 1:44, 3rd quarter

The Panthers are spinning their wheels on their side of the field, now facing 2nd and 15 from the 25. They’re dominating time of possession and yardage (279 to 174), but have nothing to show for it.

Well, here’s your MVP if Denver wins. Because they’re not giving it to a kicker.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 3:12, 3rd quarter

Carolina takes over at their 34 after Denver stalled. Let’s see what new way the Panthers mess up this drive.

Oh, there it is already! Illegal block on the return. They’ll start 15 yards back at their 19.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 5:36, 3rd quarter

Denver starts at their own 5, by C.J. Anderson pushes the pile all the way out to the 20 on his first carry.

Interception! Denver's ball

A Cam Newton pass intended for Ted Ginn at the 10 goes through Ginn’s hands and gets picked off. Denver fumbled the return, but recovered.

Yackety Sax should have been on the halftime set-list.

Updated

Thoughts on Denver's gameplan for the second-half

The start of the second half for Denver’s offense is much like their start of the game. They seem to have come out with a carefully-scripted safe plays, blocked well and got receivers open enough for Peyton Manning to make safe, predictable throws.

The Broncos didn’t get a touchdown but they ate up some time, deflated Carolina’s defense – which has been off the field for more than 30 minutes of real time when you add the Panthers end of half possession, a long halftime and another Carolina possession. The Panthers defensive players did not want to come out allowing Denver to move the ball. This was a masterful plan from the Broncos coaches.

Though the Broncos didn’t score a touchdown their first second half drive was a success with the field goal. They are going to play it safe on offense and see if their defense can continue to control the game.

Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 7:40, 3rd quarter

Philly Brown pulls in a 42-yard pass from Newton to get Carolina down to Denver’s 38.

A guy named Philly and Brown playing well in a Super Bowl. Amazing.

The irritable bowel doll all the kids will be wanting next holiday season:

If the presidency doesn’t work out, Donald Trump has a future in sports radio.

But I agree that this isn’t a very good game. Oh, no. I just agreed with Donald Trump. This is a low as a man gets.

Field goal! Broncos 16-7 Panthers, 8:18, 3rd quarter

Denver has to feel like they left points on the field again, but at least they’re now up by two scores.

Brock Osweiler may start coughing loudly near Gary Kubiak the next time Denver reaches the red zone.

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 8:22, 3rd quarter

Denver fails to convert on 3rd and 5 from the 12. They’re now 0-for-3 in the red zone.

Field goal time again.

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 10:35, 3rd quarter

Manning hits Sanders down the middle for 25 yards on 1st down and Denver is already on the Carolina 41. Peyton clearly playing inspired football after that Coldplay performance.

Gano misses!

Gano hit the right upright from 44 yards. Denver stays ahead 13-7 with 10:48 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Carolina, you should not have had your worst game of the season in the Super Bowl. This was a bad idea.

Updated

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 11:00, 3rd quarter

Newton fails to connect with Greg Olsen on 3rd and 11. Carolina will try a long field goal.

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 13:05, 3rd quarter

Cam Newton opens up by hitting Ted Ginn on a crossing pattern for 45 yards inside Denver territory. They’re now facing 2nd and 9 from the 39. The Ginn completion was the longest play of the game.

The second half is underway!

Carolina starts at their own 20. Beyonce is not on the field.

Wow! Dress in style for the second half!

The best Super Bowl commercial so far? This one for a Washington, DC-area plumber.

Okay, so maybe not the best. But the most memorable.

Here’s a good picture of the halftime show. Possibly taken by Kevin Durant!

That blew the Pro Bowl’s halftime show away.

Our Super Bowl novice in Australia writes:

There’s a great line in Scarface when Tony Montana is driving home with his pal Manolo Ribera after a night out with drug baron, Frank Lopez. The pair are discussing Frank’s girlfriend Elvira Hancock, and the conversation goes like this:

Tony Montana: “That chick he’s with. She like me.”

Manolo Ribera: “She like you, huh? How do you know?”

Tony Montana: “The eyes, Chico. They never lie.”

Later on they shoot Frank and become very wealthy and it all goes bad and everybody dies. And if you haven’t seen it you should check it out, it’s a crackerjack film.

In the meantime, check out the eyes of the two main protagonists in this 50th ever Super Bowl. Peyton Manning’s eyes are saying, “I’ve got this. I’m 39-years-old. I’ve done all this before. I’ve been in four Super Bowls. I have been a Most Valuable Player. People think I’m good. And I have got this. I own this puppy.” The eyes of Cam Newton, meanwhile, could be just starting to consider Cam Newton’s mortality. They’re saying “Things aren’t really going to plan here. I’m like the best and baddest man there’s ever been. And yet we aren’t winning. How come we’re not winning? All we’ve done all season is win. And now this old man from the other team who turned up in his slacks and sports jacket like he was about to board a really big boat, this guy is out-playing me? What is doing, Super Bowl?”

That said the Panthers scored a touchdown when Jonathan Stewart shot over the line of scrimmage like a crash test dummy shout out James Bond’s ejector seat. And Manning, for all the confidence in his eyes, all that stuff, threw a pass that was intercepted by a giant man, Kony Ealy, a mobile Bond villain. Funny game, National Football League, Manning hasn’t thrown an interception in 164 post-season matches. Which is a lot.

Other highlights: Broncos punt return man Jordan Norwood took a catch and ran and ran and ran for 61 yards, like he was cruising in three-quarter mode. Some runner. Never been a touchdown from a punt return in 50 Super Bowls, a surprising thing.

RB CJ Anderson made some strong yards on a bullocking run before our man Newton, with a minute left on the clock to half-time threw an absolute missile that was completed by Devin Funchess who took a terrific catch over his head, the ball was smokin’. Then, final play of the half, Newton was sacked again. And I’m running with the eyes thing. Because the eyes, Chico. They never lie.

Check ‘em out.

Updated

Is Peyton Manning 30 minutes away from being the worst quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl? Seriously.

Okay, so maybe Denver shouldn’t be as concerned as I thought.

Halftime show is next. You can get coverage of the halftime show specifically from The Guardian here.

So check that out. Or stick around here for some football stuff (and maybe also some commentary on Queen Bey).

Half-time thoughts on the Broncos - how are they dominating Carolina?

The Broncos defensive players have been playing recklessly and … at times…. dirty. But it’s also paying off. The extra shots Denver’s linemen and cornerbacks are taking seem to be making the Panthers offensive linemen uncomfortable. It’s almost as if Carolina didn’t expect how aggressive the Broncos would be.

Just before Darian Stewart forced a fumble, Malik Jackson came up behind a Panthers offensive linemen and flattened him. He was penalized that time but there are moments when the Broncos are taking an extra hit or running into Panthers players and not getting flagged for it.

Several times the Broncos secondary is breaking up passes with borderline hits. They appear to be gambling that they won’t get flagged. So far they haven’t. Will Carolina be able to adjust at halftime? Or has Denver set a tone for the whole game?

Updated

Halftime: Broncos 13-7 Panthers

Demarcus Ware sacks Newton on the final play of the half. At this rate, Newton will look older than Peyton Manning by the end of the game.

Halftime thoughts:

  1. Carolina looks bad.
  2. They should be down much more than 6 points looking this bad.
  3. Denver should be a little concerned.

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 0:18, 2nd quarter

Newton runs for 1st down to the Denver 45. Carolina is out of timeouts and seemingly out of anyone who can do much with the ball not named Cam Newton.

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 0:56, 2nd quarter

Newton bought time in the pocket on 3rd and long and then got Devin Funchess with a great catch at the 41.

No, Newton did not buy time with the money he supposedly got from Auburn, HATERS.

The Panthers led the NFL in takeaways and turnover differential this year, but they’re behind on both fronts today. They just managed their first of the day when Kody Ealy picked off Peyton Manning – not the quarterback’s finest read– but promptly went three-and-out and punted away.

Super Bowl teams with fewer turnovers than their opponents are 36-3 (.923).

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 1:30, 2nd quarter

Newton runs three yards out to the Carolina 22. He now has 40 rushing yards to just 63 passing yards.

That interception by Manning was his 25th interception in 26 career playoff games. He also has 40 career playoff TD passes.

I would have bet those numbers were reversed.

Maybe this Peyton Manning is a pretty good quarterback, after all!

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 2:02, 2nd quarter

And there’s a three-and-out by Carolina. They’ll punt from their own 25. Super Bowl 50 could have 50 three-and-outs.

Hey, make up your mind, Johnathan Stewart’s foot.

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 3:25, 2nd quarter

Panthers go three-and-out. Again. No matter how many breaks Denver gives them, Carolina can’t capitalize.

I guess the silver lining for Carolina is that they could easily be down three touchdowns and they’re not? Sure. Go with it.

Manning intercepted!

Manning noodle-armed a ball in the direction of Emmanuel Sanders and Kony Ealy intercepted it. Carolina starts at their own 39.

This game is kind of ugly so far. Is it the last game of the 2015 season or maybe the first preseason game of 2016?

Updated

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 6:19, 2nd quarter

C.J. Anderson runs 34 yards down to the Carolina 26. He’ll need more Terrell Davis-style runs like that if he’s going to help his old-man QB win a title like Davis did for John Elway.

Steph Curry is there as a fan, but it looks like Kevin Durant is forced to work the game as a photographer. It really pays off to win a ring, I guess.

Fumble! Mike Tolbert gives the ball to Denver.

Right after the Panthers picked up 29 yards, Tolbert fumbles. Denver takes over on their own 40. This is not the Carolina team that got to 17-1. This is the Carolina team that went 7-8-1 last year. Why did they bring that one?

Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 6:45, 2nd quarter

Newton runs up the middle for a first down and a 14-yard gain. The ball came out, but he was down. Carolina will get 15 more yards thanks to a late hit by Malik Jackson ... who is not Aqib Talib. Good job, Aqib! Denver ball at their own 49.

Looking back at the 4th down play, if not for the holding, Anderson would have been stopped. In a way, that hold got Denver three points.

Field goal! Broncos 13-7 Panthers, 6:58 2nd quarter

McManus nails it. Broncos are now 0-for-2 in red zone tries. Maybe they need a QB with a little more experience who knows how to convert down there.

Broncos 10-7 Panthers, 7:09, 2nd quarter

The Broncos are going for it from the 5 on 4th-and-1. Drama!

C.J. Anderson picks it up, but ... Denver hold on the play. They’ll try a field goal now. Lesser drama.

Updated

Broncos 10-7 Panthers, 9:11, 2nd quarter

So much for that momentum stuff. Panthers go three-and-out and then punt to Jordan Norwood ... who returns it all the way down to the Carolina 14 for a 61-yard return.

Broncos 10-7 Panthers, 10:46, 2nd quarter

The Panthers start their drive at the 50 after the punt. Momentum is tilting towards Carolina. Let’s see if Aqib Talib commits a personal foul on the momentum.

Aqib Talib is having a tough game. After jumping offsides on the Panthers extra point, the Broncos cornerback has been called for three penalties. But while Talib is sometimes prone to getting himself in trouble during games, the Panthers are also starting to frustrate the Denver defense that had been so dominant at the start of game.

Toward the end of the first half the Panthers started to move Cam Newton around, which made Carolina’s offense more unpredictable. An option play had some success and then Newton took off running a few times catching the Broncos off-guard. Talib’s grab of Corey Brown’s facemask was partially out of annoyance that Carolina was starting to move the Broncos on their heels as it was from desperation.

It will be interesting to see if Denver can adjust to the things Carolina is doing on offense right now.

Broncos 10-7 Panthers, 11:00, 2nd quarter

On 3rd-and-17, Kuechly nearly broke Demaryius Thomas in half on a crossing pattern. Alas, he did not break him in half, but he jarred the ball loose. So Denver is punting.

Signs of life from the Carolina offense. Jonathan Stewart’s one-yard touchdown plunge capped a nine-play, 73-yard drive that pulled the Panthers within 10-7 early in the second quarter. The Panthers fans here in the stadium, who had been silenced amid their team’s early misfires, have suddenly come to life.

The crucial play of the 4min 50sec match came on 3rd and 1 from the Denver 34, when Newton rolled out to his right before throwing across the field to tight end Greg Olsen, who hauled in the lob and rumbled up the left sideline for a one-yard gain. A vicious face-mask penalty by Denver’s Aqib Talib on wideout Corey Brown gave Carolina possession on the one, setting the stage for Stewart’s score.

In case you aren’t enjoying the Super Bowl, you’ve been ordered to enjoy it.

Broncos 10-7 Panthers, 11:18, 2nd quarter

Ron Rivera is challenging again. This time he believes Peyton Manning was down by contact.

He clearly was down by contact.

Updated

Our Super Bowl novice in Australia gives his first-quarter impressions:

And so with a couple minutes to go before kick-off a pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on the door here at sweet home Allambie, Sydney, these smiling 20-year-old boys, going door-to-door selling immortality. Apparently they’d been talking to “our neighbours” about some “important literature”, and, well, needless to say old mate didn’t get said literature out his satchel before I said told him no thanks champion the Super Bowl’s on. And this is what he said, word for word: “The what?”

Now, I mean, I don’t know a lot about American football, this much is patently clear. But I know the Super Bowl’s on because I have a television and am aware of an invention called the “internet”. Who are these people? What kind of escapees from a sheltered workshop wander the suburbs on a Monday morning not knowing what the Super Bowl is? Is it even allowed?

Anyway. Made it back to the couch to see Carolina win the toss and all five (5) of their captains point to the end they wanted to run. The Broncos also had five captains. Plus there were five honorary captains made up former MVPs. Seems rather a lot of captains. They’d want to all get on.

And then we got into it. And Peyton Manning flung one down the guts for a first down. And the Broncos punted. And Carolina punted. And the Broncos had a shot at goal. Commentators said the Broncos punter man had a “key muff” against the Raiders. Key muff has no equivalent in all Australian sports or greater life. Then there was a “strip sack” (again, no real equivalent) by Von Miller before Malik Jackson fell on the ball for a touchdown. And there was much rejoicing.

Then Cam Newton was sacked again and the tackle men danced about afterwards like an expression session in a discotheque. And then defensive man Aqib Talib was pinged 15 yards for “Unsportsmanlike conduct - taunting.”

Taunting! Ha. There’ll be no taunting in this National Football League, no sirree Bob Griese.

“Taunting.” That’s funny. You’re not allowed to taunt anyone. There’d be very few footballers left in Australia if there was no taunting, the rule would end careers, livelihoods.

And at quarter-time it was 10-nil the Broncs.

“The Blind Side 2” won’t be nearly as inspiring.

Touchdown! Broncos 10-7 Panthers, 11:25, 2nd quarter

Carolina got 1st down at the 1 after a very blatant facemask by Aqib Talib on Philly Brown, who seems to be completely out of control or is Vontaze Burfict playing in a Talib jersey.

Then Johnathan Stewart went up and over for the TD.

Yes, it appears Stewart’s foot is fine, as he jumped over several humans to score.

Updated

Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 12:00, 2nd quarter

Newton rolls out to his right on 3rd down and hits Greg Olsen back across to the left to get Carolina down to the 15. They’re starting to look more like Carolina finally.

Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 14:14, 2nd quarter

Cam Newton opens the 2nd quarter by running 11 yards for a first down. If Stewart is out or limited, Newton may have to do more of that.

And there’s another long run by Newton down to the 36.

Finding themselves on the wrong end of the score for the first time in the postseason, things have quickly gone from bad to worse for the Panthers. The NFL’s top-ranked offense went three-and-out on their opening series with Cam Newton missing an open Philly Brown on second down, but at least Carolina’s offensive line was giving their quarterback time to throw.

Not so much on their second crack. Shortly after losing a catch challenge, Denver’s Von Miller breast-stroked past Mike Rivers and stripped Newton, shrewdly batting the ball to Malik Jackson, who fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown. It was the fumble recovery for a touchdown in a Super Bowl since James Washington’s scoop and score in Super Bowl XXVIII.

After a third fruitless drive Carolina’s total output looked dire: 13 plays, nine yards, zero points. The largest deficit overturned in Super Bowl history is 10 points (in Super Bowls XXII, XLIX and XLIV).

Updated

End of the 1st quarter: Broncos 10-0 Panthers

So far the MVP is Wade Phillips.

Yes, I realize coaches can’t be MVPs, but an exception should be made for @sonofbum.

Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 0:36, 1st quarter

Newton hits Philly Brown along the far sideline for 20 yards out to their own 47. It’s Carolina’s longest play of the game so far.

And they had DeAngelo Williams all those years as the backup. You always miss something the most after you lose it.

Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 1:50, 1st quarter

Peyton sacked by Luke Kuechly on 3rd and 3 all the way back at the nine. Watching him track down Manning looked like a bit of a mismatch athletically.

Denver is punting out of their end zone.

So far the story of the game -- outside of Denver’s defense, of course -- is Carolina turning the ball over right after a catch was called incomplete and then failing to capitalize on the stupid Talib penalty.

Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 3:12, 1st quarter

After being gifted a new set of downs, Carolina goes three-and-out. Again. They’ll punt from midfield.

At this rate, this game is going to end with Wade Phillips dabbing.

It’s a clear, warm day in Santa Clara
It’s a clear, warm day in Santa Clara. Photograph: Tony Avelar/EPA

Folks back home in much colder climates probably are not interested in hearing how hot the sun is at this Super Bowl. But the 3:30pm kickoff on a brilliant, cloudless afternoon means the sun is lingering over the stadium, bathing most of the stands in bright, scorching light. The unique structure of Levi’s Stadium with its wall of suites on the west side leaves an open exposure to allow the sun to shine on the stands extra long.

Fans and fellow journalists are using any means necessary to keep the sun off their faces.

Personally, I still remember shoveling two feet of snow before coming to California last weekend. I’ll happily burn for everyone at home.

Updated

Whoops! Change that! 1st down for Carolina on an Aqib Talib taunting penalty.

Cam sacked again!

The Panthers will punt again after Newton is pressured and dropped for the second possession in a row.

Carolina will punt from their own 30.

Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 5:15, 1st quarter

Fozzie Whittaker picks up 15 yards on a pitch to get the Panthers out to the their own 36. Mike Tolbert fumbled on the next play but recovered. Huge. The game could have fallen into nightmare mode for Carolina there.

Here’s the play for the touchdown:

Updated

Touchdown! Broncos 10-0 Panthers, 6:27 1st quarter

Von Miller sacked Newton, Newton fumbled into the end zone and the Broncos jumped on it for the game’s first touchdown.

So, yeah, that ruling of a non-catch is a smidge consequential, huh?


The ruling stands as incomplete!

Mike Carey, the CBS officiating expert, thought it was a catch. So, of course, it was not.

Broncos 3-0 Panthers, 7:16, 1st quarter

Now things are getting real ... we have a challenge of a catch that was ruled not a catch!

Newton hit Jerricho Cotchery streaking up the middle of the field, but he bobbled it while falling to the ground near midfield.

It looked like he regained possession, but thinking you know what an NFL catch looks like is the sign of a fool. We’ll have to wait to see what they decide on review.

Updated

Broncos 3-0 Panthers, 7:23, 1st quarter

Same as Carolina, the Broncos pick up just 9 yards on their drive, 1 short of what’s needed. They punt and Carolina will start with the ball on their own 15.

We’re through more than 1/8th of the Super Bowl now. So far my MVP pick is Broncos kicker Brandon McManus. I reserve the right to change my pick, however.

Broncos kicker Brandon McManus
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus Photograph: Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

Updated

PayPal ran a Super Bowl commercial.

Broncos 3-0 Panthers, 9:19, 1st quarter

A 48-yard punt and fair catch gives Peyton Manning, who is apparently nicknamed “The Sheriff,” the ball back at their own 25. They just need to hold this lead for the next 54:19 of gametime.

Broncos 3-0 Panthers, 9:33, 1st quarter

Panthers go 3-and-out, falling a few inches short of a 1st down on a 3rd-and-8 completion to Greg Olsen. They’re punting, which is less popular than dabbing.

A couple of early thoughts on Denver’s offense. Our seats in the auxiliary press box are behind the north end zone, which gave a nice look at the way the Broncos offensive line worked on the initial drive. Denver clearly looked as if they scripted the first series and the line did a great job of stretching the Carolina defense.

The line gave Manning tons of time to throw and he was able to pick where he wanted to throw. If the Broncos line can do this all game it will be a great sign for Denver.

Also, this might be because the Broncos primary color is orange but there appear to be more Denver fans in the stands than Carolina. But this is a very unscientific survey.

Broncos 3-0 Panthers, 10:36, 1st quarter

Carolina will open their first drive of the game on their own 19, trailing 3-0 ... their first deficit of the entire postseason.

Very important note from that drive: Andre Caldwell dabbed.

Good luck on all your prop bets!

Broncos 3-0 Panthers, 10:43, 1st quarter

McManus nails it from 37. The Broncos are already just 5 points away from equaling their Super Bowl 48 total.

Updated

Broncos 0-0 Panthers, 10:53, 1st quarter

Denver’s drive stalls out and can’t get past the 17. Brandon McManus will now try for a field goal and the lead.

Broncos 0-0 Panthers, 12:28, 1st quarter

Denver has now gone on the ground two plays in a row and are down to the Carolina 14 with a first down. Forget what I said about being pass heavy.

Broncos 0-0 Panthers, 13:39, 1st quarter

On 3rd and 4, Manning hits Caldwell down the right sideline for a long gain and a first down. Denver had thrown on all four plays so far and are at the Carolina 34. If this is Manning’s last game, they’re going to get every last throw out of it, apparently.

Broncos 0-0 Panthers, 13:48, 1st quarter

Manning hits Owen Daniels over the middle for 18 yards and then goes 6 yards to Emmanuel Sanders. This is already light years better than Denver’s star to Super Bowl 48.

Kickoff!

Graham Gano kicked the ball to Andre Caldwell and he ran it out to the 20. Anticlimactic? No, Super Anticlimactic.

Carolina called tails and won the toss. They’re kicking off. Denver will receive. Football! Football! Football! ... after another commercial break.

Our Super Bowl novice in Australia, Matt Cleary - who you may remember from his attempts to grapple with the rules of NFL – writes on the view from Sydney:

OK. Super Bowl #50, kind of a big deal. We know this because Cam Newton wandered into the stadium in sparkly slip-ons and a jacket you wouldn’t wear on a bet, and clutching a valise or man-bag or something. You wonder what he’d need to bring to the football in a little baby suitcase, but there you go. Cam walks to the beat of his very own drum, and good luck to him.

The other star man of SB50, Peyton Manning, arrived in gear one might expect a rather wealthy 39-year-old to wear, that being a sports jacket, tie and slacks combination as if he were off to the polo or addressing alumni or boarding a really big boat.

Announcement of Super Bowl MVPs was nice. Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers, waving at us from his house. Joe Namath, heard of him. He was famous before fame was even a thing. Len Dawson? Not so much.

There followed Chuck Howley, a Cowboy. Roger Staubach, another Cowboy. Couple of old Dolphins, couple Pittsburgh Steelers. Fred Biletnikoff of Oakland Raiders. Terry Bradshaw, he’s on the telly. Joe Montana. John Riggins. Marcus Allen. Great dudes. Richard Dent, lot of human. Phil Simms, look of a big-arsed bank manager, a loans man. Sign here or I’ll rip your head off. Doug Williams. Jerry Rice, a Niners man, and quite a bit cooler than you, is my tip.

Ottis Anderson. Is he The Fridge? He is not, that’s William Perry. There follows Troy Aikman and Emmett Smith, they used to sing his name. Steve Young, a local man. They’re wheeling them all out. Desmond Howard, a Packer. Terrell Davis, a Broncos man, plenty of fans in. John Elway, another Bronco, they love him. Kurt Warner. Tom Brady, booed by some, haters gonna hate. A dude called Dexter Jackson. Peyton Manning, for the Colts, he can’t be with us this afternoon, he’s in the sheds getting ready. HIs brother can, he won the gong a year after. Fine family.

Then Steph Curry belted into a really big gong. And the Panthers ran out. And then the Broncos. And service people sang America, America. And Lady Gaga, part human being, part beautiful singing goldfish from Finding Nemo did the anthem, and it was golden. And from the couch at Allambie Heights on these northern beaches of Sydney Town on the mighty island continent of Australia, one senses things are getting really very real. Time for a nice cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit.

Lady Gaga’s anthem is over. Next up the coin toss. Then probably a football game at some point. We’ll see.

They’re now signing “America The Beautiful.” Then it will be the national anthem ... which may include a flyover of never-before-seen fighter jets.

In case you weren’t aware that the Super Bowl is peak America.

Curry has a pretty nice swing. I bet he could have a better baseball career than Michael Jordan did.

Steph Curry just pounded the Panthers drum to welcome them onto the field. Despite hitting it really hard, he didn’t appear to injure himself, so the NBA season is still over.

This NFL player thinks NFL players have rights. Adorable.

They’re currently parading all of the past Super Bowl MVPs onto the field. You can feel the excitement building for the announcement of Joe Flacco.

Betty White was born in the age of The Charleston and has lived all the way to dabbing.

The people tweeting these things would not be all that fun at your Super Bowl party.

“Don’t let the devil win over your words or speech that represent the dark world.”

The devil? As though there isn’t enough pressure in the Super Bowl already, Mrs. Newton.

Good thing Al Michaels isn’t calling Super Bowl 50, because he clearly is partial to the orange team.

I guess I won’t be able to share any opinions on Peyton Manning tonight, as I’ve played 19 NFL seasons shorts of the Peyton-Manning-opinion cutoff line. Too bad.

Updated

If you’re looking to kill time before kickoff -- and we all are -- you can’t go wrong with the latest edition of Bad NFL Lip Reading:

That is likely a special edition CURRY 30 jersey that the NBA MVP is wearing, but I’d like to think he’s for some reason wearing the No. 30 jersey of former Panthers defensive back Charles Godfrey.

While the Patriots didn’t make the Super Bowl, it seems that Tom Brady did. Some of his shirt buttons appear to have stayed at home.

In other possibly Patriots-related news, “five men and a child” watched a Panthers practice from a nearby rooftop this week.

The price does include sales tax. What a bargain!

Tim Tebow hasn’t been on the Broncos in four years, but he will forever remain in the hearts and on the backs of many Denver fans.

We’re now less than 60 minutes from kickoff.

Thanks for following The Guardian’s Super Bowl 50 liveblog. It’s definitely a cheaper way to experience the event than attending. Even newborn’s have to pay $1,800 to see the game live.

And introducing your Official Game Coin (TM):

Steph Curry can probably afford the food prices, we’re thinking:

Should Santa Clara suddenly declare war on the US the Super Bowl will be ready. The show of security is extreme outside Levi’s Stadium. Soldiers in tan uniforms patrol the perimeter of the stadium, clutching giant machine guns as if they are prowling a battlefield. They ride, not in jeeps or tucks, but full-plated armed vehicles that resemble tanks.

On the way into the stadium I spotted at least three such vehicles as well as this thing that appears to have been salvaged from Thunderdrome.

This is in addition to the usual force of bomb-sniffing dogs that have nuzzled their way into Super Bowls for years now. A huge contingent of police are walking the stadium grounds as well.

Soldiers at Super Bowl
We’re sure there a joke about defense winning the Super Bowl here. Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP

What’s a Super Bowl-priced ticket without Super Bowl-priced food? As fans poured into Levi’s Stadium they were welcomed with bright red and white signs advertising Ice Cream! Nachos! Beer! Then they discovered just how much those ice creams, nachos and beers cost.

“So this is a 16 ounce cup,” a cashier at one food stand said as she held up a plastic cup that for $15 she would fill with Goose Island IPA. She grabbed a slightly bigger 20-ounce plastic cup and said it would hold Bud Light and cost only $13. Then she made a balancing motion with her hands.

A smaller IPA for $15? Or a larger Bud Light for $13. She laughed. Those in the line, reaching for their wallets, did not seem amused.

“I was going to take a picture of this as soon as I get back to my seat,” said a man in a Panthers Cam Newton jersey clutching his $10 cup of chocolate ice cream that looked suspiciously like the $3 cup of chocolate ice cream you can get from the ice cream truck at the park.

Compared to the $15 pulled pork nachos in a french fry-sized box, that $10 ice cream might be a steal.

“Everything is expensive here, man,” said a man wearing an orange Broncos jersey and orange-rimmed sunglasses. Then he took a swig from a $13 aluminum can of Bud Light and shook his head.

Maybe he will eventually go for a bottle of water. That was only $7.

Luke Kuechly and Charles Tillman
Luke Kuechly and Charles Tillman act as unofficial team photographers on game day. Photograph: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Defense wins championships according to our cliche-ometer. Is Carolina’s good enough to win the Super Bowl. Here’s Paolo Bandini on that little matter:

Peyton Manning surprised a few people against New England. After the worst season of his career, in which he threw nearly twice as many interceptions (17) as touchdowns (nine), he was supposed to be a spent force. Even those of us who backed the Broncos to win still argued that they would need to lean heavily on the running game.

Denver exploited such perceptions by having Manning throw early and often. With New England stacking up against the run, he completed four passes for 60 yards (gaining a further 14 on a pass interference penalty) and a score on the Broncos’ opening possession. He added a second touchdown before half-time and finished the game with a passer rating of 90.1.

But just because things worked out on this occasion does not mean that all previous concerns were misplaced. A closer look at Manning’s performance would show that he finished up with only 178 yards through the air, and almost a fifth of those on an underthrown pass that would have been intercepted by Malcolm Butler if Emmanuel Sanders had not made a spectacular play.

There is no escaping the fact that Manning, even fully healthy, does not generate the same velocity on his passes as he once did. Against the most opportunistic secondary in the league – Carolina’s self-styled Thieves Avenue – that is a major concern.

The Panthers led the NFL with 24 interceptions in the regular season, and have followed that up with a further six in two playoff games. Errant throws are liable to be gobbled up by the likes of Kurt Coleman, Josh Norman and, indeed, linebacker Luke Kuechly. Some weak links do exist in Carolina’s defensive backfield, but I have a hard time believing that this version of Manning will be able to exploit them where Carson Palmer and Arizona’s deep receiving corps could not.

All of which suggests that the Broncos really will need to run the ball consistently to succeed. The one-two punch of CJ Anderson and Ronnie Hillman has been productive for most of the year, and Gary Kubiak is adept at identifying and exploiting opponents’ defensive tendencies. But the Panthers gave up a paltry 88.4 rushing yards per game in the regular season and have dropped that figure further, to 69.0, so far in the playoffs.

Kuechly might be the most talented linebacker in the league, and has Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei handling blockers ahead of him. The Broncos have an effective group of interior linemen, but even if Carolina were missing Thomas Davis, whose return from a broken arm remains uncertain, I could not give Denver a clear edge. And given my concerns over Manning, I think they probably needed it.

We’re 100 minutes from kickoff here at Levi’s Stadium, the sparkling $1.3bn home of the 49ers located 45 miles southeast of San Francisco. It’s 70F with a light breeze and hardly a cloud in the sky: a positively gorgeous day for the football. The stands are mostly empty as fans mill the concourses sipping $13 beers and $25 glasses of Chalone Estate Pinot Noir and noshing down foodstuffs, with others still outside for the NFL’s official tailgate where Seal just finished performing.

Cam Newton warms up before Super Bowl 50
Cam Newton warms up before Super Bowl 50. Photograph: Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

Everything here is expensive and branded within an inch of its life, natch. A few Broncos and Panthers players in long-sleeved T-shirts and shorts have taken the field for some stretching and light warm-ups. On the Jumbotron a montage of Super Bowl highlights plays to This Is The Moment from the Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden musical Jekyll & Hyde. A bit on the nose but OK. After two interminable weeks since last taking the field, both sides are no doubt itching to get on with it.

Updated

While Cam and Peyton are both brilliant in their own ways (unfortunately, Manning’s ways mainly being in the past), it’s worth remembering these two aren’t exactly overnight sensations:

You may, of course, be interested in who is going to win tonCAROLINAight’s game. Here’s Paolo Bandini on what look to be the most important match-up on Sunday, the Panthers offense v the Broncos defense:

The Broncos’ defense has suffocated some pretty good quarterbacks this season, from Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers, but all have been pocket passers. We have little evidence for how they might fare against the dual threat posed by Cam Newton.

On paper, at least, they are well-equipped for the challenge. As noted before the Cardinals game, Newton has been extremely productive against the blitz, but Denver are able to generate pass rush without sending extra men.

Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are one of the most disruptive edge rushing tandems in the league, but what makes this Denver defense so challenging to play against is that it is almost as effective in bringing pressure up the middle with Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe.

Not even Newton can improvise solutions if he is under pressure from all sides and if there is a weakness in his game it is that he still could be quicker with his decisions in the pocket. ProFootballFocus note that he held onto the ball for an average of 2.83 seconds this season, making him “slower than all but four other NFL passers”.

It will be interesting to see how Denver defend Carolina’s various receiving options, and in particular tight end Greg Olsen, but whatever approach they take becomes more likely to succeed if they can keep Newton on the back foot. It is no coincidence that the one game the Panthers lost this season, against Atalanta, was also the one in which their quarterback was pressured most often.

Getting men into the backfield will have the added benefit of disrupting the Panthers’ running game. Denver gave up the fewest yards per carry (3.3) of any team in the league, and their habit of getting to runners either at or behind the line of scrimmage has played a big part. I believe the Broncos can slow Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert, and while Newton is a trickier proposition they do have the personnel to make his life tough.

And should you want the Super Bowl match-ups explained to you, where better to go to than Taiwan?

Good afternoon/evening/morning*

And we’re off for a mouthwatering afternoon/evening/morning*’s worth of entertainment. Your dramatis personae via the medium of Twitter:

This will be the last time Peyton moves faster than Cam today.

*Delete as appropriate

DJ will be here shortly in the meantime, here are Paolo Bandini’s pre-game thoughts:

Does defense really win championships, or do the Broncos just lose them? Denver will equal an NFL record on Sunday by competing in its eighth Super Bowl, but its five defeats on this stage are already the most by any team. Every one of those losses has been lopsided, with opponents’ margins of victory ranging from 17 points to 45.

The most recent humiliation is still fresh in the memory. The Broncos were billed at Super Bowl XLVIII as an unstoppable offensive juggernaut, after Peyton Manning steered them to an unfathomable 37.9 points per game during the regular season. But the Seahawks’ top-ranked defense allowed them just a single touchdown in a game that finished 43-8.

Two years and one head coaching change later, Denver’s role has been reversed. Now it is the Broncos who boast the league’s best defense, a unit that just mauled Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game. Their opponents, the Panthers, are the offensive powerhouse whose 31.9 points per game were best in the NFL.

For the full article, click here.

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