Super Bowl 50 Recap
After two weeks of build up, Super Bowl Sunday finally arrived! The matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos was predicted to go heavily in Carolina’s favour, but Denver came with something to prove. The opening ceremony involved the past Super Bowl MVP’s coming out onto the field and being congratulated on their accomplishments in celebration of the 50th Super Bowl.
The opening ceremony was followed by the singing of the national anthem by Lady Gaga. There were questions about whether or not she was the right choice to sing the anthem but after her performance no one questioned her vocal abilities as she nailed the anthem and set the tone for the rest of the event.
Throughout the whole game it was very sloppy with multiple errors occurring with both teams on both sides of the ball but defence was the key to this matchup. Early in the 1st quarter the Denver defence made an impact with Pro-Bowler Von Miller getting to Cam Newton and getting a sack-fumble which led to a recovery of the ball in the end-zone for a Denver touchdown. The rest of the first quarter went on with not much action as both defences stood their ground and the quarter ended with the Broncos up 10-0.
To start off the 2nd quarter, the Panthers drove down the field, finding weaknesses in the Denver defence. Eventually they got down to the goal line and running back Jonathan Stewart hurdled over the Broncos linebackers into the end zone for the score. That touchdown made it a 3 point game with the Panthers seeming to gain momentum behind their MVP Quarterback Cam Newton leading the charge.
With 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter it was 13-7 for Denver after they kicked a field goal but it was still anyone’s game to win. The Broncos started to put a drive together and marched down the field, but on a 3rd & 8, with the Broncos well within field goal range and closing in on the end zone, Peyton Manning tried to throw to Emmanuel Sanders on a curl route. However, Kony Ealy, a Panthers defensive end, jumped the route and got a crucial interception. With time winding down on the clock, the Panthers weren’t able to do anything on offence but were lucky that it was still a one possession game thanks to Kony Ealy’s interception.
The buzz didn’t stop at halftime. The Super Bowl 50 halftime show featured Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars. Coldplay started off by performing ‘Yellow,’ ‘Viva la Vida,’ ‘Paradise,’ and ‘Adventure of a Lifetime.’ One of the special guests, Bruno Mars, then performed his most recent hit, ‘Uptown Funk.’ Beyonce finally performed her own newest single ‘Formation,’ and joined Mars for a remixed ‘Uptown Funk.’ The stage, which was a screen, then played snippets of past Super Bowl halftime performers including Katy Perry, Rolling Stones, and U2. The show concluded with all three guests performing Coldplay’s ‘Up&Up’ and ‘Fix You.’ The halftime show is available to watch by clicking here.
The second half started off with the Panthers driving to the 26-yard line. Carolina had a chance for a field goal, but Graham Gano, the Panthers’ kicker hit the very top of the right post, keeping Broncos ahead by 6. Next few minutes were just defensive stops after defensive stops, until Denver got into the red zone. Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t go all the way and had to go for another 3 points.
The last quarter of the Super Bowl seemed to spark up a little, when Manning was stripped of the ball and Carolina regained possession. Panthers went all the way to the 21-yard line and was forced a field goal attempt due to the impenetrable Broncos defense.
Carolina Panthers showed desperation for possession when the realization of a potential loss of the biggest game of the season hit them. Broncos showed no mercy, and kept Newton frustrated. Panthers were in their zone with 4 minutes of play. Then it happened. Von Miller came to rescue once again by hitting Newton’s arm as he was in a throwing motion. This moment would later be a trending topic, because Newton could’ve dove on the ball. The ball was right in front of him, but he hesitated, and watched hopelessly as Ward dove on it and got the Broncos the ball. At Panthers’ 4-yard line. Consequently, Broncos got another easy touchdown, and Manning also converted the two. The score was 24-10. Fans and players in orange started to cheer, smile, and hug each other. It may not have been the most entertaining Super Bowl, but it surely featured a team that displayed one of the most impenetrable defensive performances.
Once the final whistle went, the legendary quarterback who set a new record for the most wins and a rising superstar quarterback showed respect to each other. However, tonight wasn’t a Manning-show. The defense won them the game, like they did in the AFC championship against the former championship team, New England Patriots. Von Miller, who sacked the reigning MVP (Cam Newton) twice, received the well-deserved Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. On the other hand, the Panthers were heartbroken. They’ve come so far and were struck by a disappointing result. They could’ve brought Carolina its first ever championship. The reigning MVP, who was sacked 7 times, seemed extremely unhappy with the outcome of the game. Just like in the regular season, the media heavily criticized him. He was bashed on because of his “cocky” attitude and his ‘unnecessarily fancy celebrations’ like the ‘dab.’ He also left the press conference in the middle of it, which worsened the bonfire.
All in all, it was an entertaining event with defense being the key factor in what decided the game. The halftime show was a unique collaboration of very prominent 21st century artists that made for a memorable 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl.
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