Super Bowl 50 - Who Do You Got?

I've been going back and forth on this matchup all week, on paper I really think Carolina should probably win and win handedly .. but there's just something about this Denver team where they pull out wins in the most unlikely situations. And that defense is really, really, really good.

I think if Carolina wins, it might come near Super Bowl 48 blowout levels .. but I think if Denver wins it will be a really close game all the way to the end.

Thus - my pick is ..

Denver 20, Carolina 17

How about you guys?

Don't care? Oh, wait...I have quarters so I do care about the score. We bought a bunch of them. I hope we win some money.

I will say that percentage-wise, Hawk fans have overwhelmingly picked Orange gatorade in my game.

For others, it's kinda even between Orange, Blue and a dif color.

RedAlice":1f86gx8u said:

I will say that percentage-wise, Hawk fans have overwhelmingly picked Orange gatorade in my game.

For others, it's kinda even between Orange, Blue and a dif color.

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Everyone who knows Gatorade knows grape is the best flavor, thus I picked blue....

Incidentally drink enough of it and you'll poop green. :mrgreen:

I got the Broncos. I think the Panthers win, but I hope Peyton gets it, then retires unfavreishly.

This year the Superbowl is very unexciting. From the teams involved to the halftime act, etc. I'm leaning toward skipping it altogether. It'll will be the first time in 40+ years that has happened.

This Superbowl will be a good game. It will be the 50th one I have watched if all goes well. Unemotional about the outcome has me seeing this as a Panthers win. I think they are better equipped to win a grind it out kind of game. They have shown in the past and this year that they can put up points and if they have to grind, they will.

Denver with Manning just doesn't show me the traits to win a meat-grinder kind of game. If they were playing like they did in 2013, maybe they could take advantage of the Panthers banged up secondary but it isn't there.

As a romantic, it would be fitting to see Manning go off in the Sunset, winner of his final game (maybe?). Not going to happen. It would irk the Patriots fans, who tend to want to belittle Manning as a threat to their favorite son. Just like Seahawks fans are about Wilson when it comes to Luck, Rodgers and now Cam. One big "Yeah, but ...".

Panthers pulling away late.

peachesenregalia":38ymvn88 said:

Don't know what you're talking about Alice, but I think Denver wins. Peyton gets to leave the game on the ultimate high, and the Panthers will come up just short.

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I have a just for fun, prop bet game going which I invited the members of this board to play. You can play...check down the threads.

The Hawk fan answers in comparison to others are heavy on Broncos positive. I didn't think about this in advance, but it is interesting. I will post stats after the game.

In my game, players are:

My Super Bowl Party
A Friend's Super Bowl Party
My family and their friends who do not live by me
Rams Fans
Hawk Fans

Like my fellow old guy drdiags, this will also be the 50th Super Bowl for me (not to mention some NFL & AFL championship games for several years before there was a Super Bowl). I want Denver, but like the good doctor I also see the Panthers pulling away late.

Carolina 24
Denver 16

I really, really think the Denver DC will get into Cam's head.

drdiags":1t4rflvr said:

This Superbowl will be a good game. It will be the 50th one I have watched if all goes well.

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That's awesome, I'm curious as to which Superbowl was the best to watch? Other than the Hawks in XLVIII obviously!

At first I thought this game would be a total Panthers blowout, with the Broncos suffering a similar XLVIII meltdown.

However, I've noticed lots of people calling it a lot closer while mentioning how the Broncos have a much better D than last time. I now think the scoreline will be closer, but the actual game will feel much more one-sided. Panthers good d, good o, Broncos good d, largely one-dimensional o with a statue QB... One more thing, I don't think Kubiak will have a John Fox-style breakdown on the sideline.

Got money on the Panthers too. I still hope they lose.

Yep, going with a Panthers win too.

Too much spotlight currently on Panthers O vs Denver's D (which, granted, will be a fun contest). Problem lies with Denver's offense vs Carolina D.

Peyton managed a whole 8 points in the big game two years ago with a record-setting offense. This time round, he hasn't got what little arm he had in XLVIII (he's practically shot-putting passes now), and the only perceived weakness is the Panthers secondary, which he won't be able to exploit sufficiently. (Panthers also had 3rd overall run defense). I don't see how they'll score many points this time either - barring a Carolina turnover meltdown.

Barring turnovers then, it might not be a blowout, but I can't see it being particularly close.

I think the Panthers are going to play a very ugly game. Teams that are not tested all season and then face their first nasty test usually lose that game. It's why I picked Seattle to win in SB48, the Denver offense hadn't faced a nasty defense all year. In a down year for defenses, Denver's defense was among the historical greats by DVOA. With apologizies to Seattle's defense and Arizona's defense, those defenses do not compare with Denver's this season. Seattle and Arizona's defenses will give up plays for the taking. Denver's will not. You don't exploit Denver's D, you survive it.

And Cam is not a good QB for these kinds of games. He gets frustrated, he gets down on himself. He usually does not rally from poor starts, unless the defense just collapses for some reason.

If Carolina does win, I think it will be because Peyton plays an even worse game. I think this will be a game with two bad QBs, with Manning having the easier go of the two.

Denver 17
Carolina 13

On the flipside, if Carolina wins by multiple scores and Cam looks really good, I'd be extremely impressed, and worried about the future of the NFC.

I'm hoping the Panthers win and I think it will be in a blowout.

Straight up physical mismatch just like 48 was.

hawkfan68":2yw8rha0 said:

This year the Superbowl is very unexciting. From the teams involved to the halftime act, etc. I'm leaning toward skipping it altogether. It'll will be the first time in 40+ years that has happened.

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How is this game unexciting? It could be Manning's last game, it's a matchup of the top scoring offense versus the top yardage defense, and it's one of the best defenses of all time against an offense with a QB who runs like a 6'5 fullback.

I want the Broncos to win,
I think the Panthers will.

MB12":l98i1bwu said:

drdiags":l98i1bwu said:

This Superbowl will be a good game. It will be the 50th one I have watched if all goes well.

Click to expand...

That's awesome, I'm curious as to which Superbowl was the best to watch? Other than the Hawks in XLVIII obviously!

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When I was young, I was a strong NFL fan vs AFL so at first I didn't have much respect for the AFL. I loved the KC Chiefs because of their diversity but figured the Vikings would smash them. The Chiefs in the end just had better players. There were several lopsided ones with Denver, Chargers, Patriots (85 Bears).

I think the one where the Steelers and Cowboys had that shoot-out with future HOF TE Jackie Smith dropping a sure TD in the back of the endzone was a heart-breaker for him. He had spent all of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and had a chance to go out a Superbowl winner. The 2 Bengals/9ers Superbowls were good. Rams vs Titans was another.

Okay, I have stalled long enough. I am going to have to think on this some more.

drdiags":24jp4mfz said:

MB12":24jp4mfz said:

drdiags":24jp4mfz said:

This Superbowl will be a good game. It will be the 50th one I have watched if all goes well.

Click to expand...

That's awesome, I'm curious as to which Superbowl was the best to watch? Other than the Hawks in XLVIII obviously!

Click to expand...

When I was young, I was a strong NFL fan vs AFL so at first I didn't have much respect for the AFL. I loved the KC Chiefs because of their diversity but figured the Vikings would smash them. The Chiefs in the end just had better players. There were several lopsided ones with Denver, Chargers, Patriots (85 Bears).

I think the one where the Steelers and Cowboys had that shoot-out with future HOF TE Jackie Smith dropping a sure TD in the back of the endzone was a heart-breaker for him. He had spent all of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and had a chance to go out a Superbowl winner. The 2 Bengals/9ers Superbowls were good. Rams vs Titans was another.

Okay, I have stalled long enough. I am going to have to think on this some more.

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How about Rams v. Titans where Titan guy was tackled at the one to end it? Or Pats beating Panthers on last second FG?

Mostly an AFL guy here though I did like the Packers. Assume you didn't as a Chicago guy?

hawksfansinceday1":12m50xna said:

How about Rams v. Titans where Titan guy was tackled at the one to end it? Or Pats beating Panthers on last second FG?

Mostly an AFL guy here though I did like the Packers. Assume you didn't as a Chicago guy?

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I respected the Packers though didn't like them, plus when I started watching the NFL in earnest, the Bears had just drafted Sayers and Butkus but for the most they were not very good. I did pull for the Cowboys in the Ice Bowl. They were always the bridesmaids back then. The Packers had some good defensive players. Herb Adderley and Woods at corner. I also like Johnny Robinson of the Chiefs back in the day, along with Lanier, Culp, Otis Taylor and others from the Chiefs.

I always tend to pull for the underdog.

Looking at the results, there were a couple that were tight. The Cardinals/Steelers had good theater. The Packers vs Steelers was another back and forth. Packers vs Denver. I still cannot decide.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/superbowl/history/winners

Very interesting, thanks for your insight