Broncos win 50th anniversary Super Bowl
Courtesy of NFL
February 18, 2016
The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers played in a well-known American tradition watched by hundreds of millions: the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. It was the best Carolina offense against Denver’s great defense and, in football, defense ultimately wins the games.
At 3:25 PM (PT), just before the game, Lady Gaga sang the national anthem in a sparkly red suit and American flag platform heels. She was stunning and clearly represented America well.
The Grammy award winner’s patriotic tribute was then followed by the Panthers winning the coin toss calling tails, thus beginning the real attraction that Sunday.
Not far into the first quarter, the Broncos gained possession of the football and, at 10:50, put three points on the board with a 34-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. Denver then ended the first quarter with a touchdown when Von Miller forced Cam Newton to fumble, Malik Jackson recovering the football, and Jackson tumbled into the end zone.
He scored the first fumble recovery touchdown in 22 years of Super Bowl history, and perhaps made the biggest play of his career.
The second quarter started off with a Carolina touchdown after a facemask penalty on Aqib Talib gave the Panthers’ running back Jonathan Stewart a chance for a one-yard touchdown run. A Carolina punt at 9:29 resulted in Broncos wide receiver Jordan Norwood returning the football 61 yards, gaining the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. To finish the second quarter, McManus kicked a 33-yard field goal allowing Denver to lead 13-7.
The halftime show was an overall tribute to every halftime performance. During the time Chris Martin was playing the piano singing “Adventure of a Lifetime” each performance was shown on the stage he was on.
Coldplay involved the crowd, marching bands and orchestra to perform during its popular songs like “Viva la Vida” and “Paradise”. Beyoncé and Bruno Mars interacted with each other in a dance off and when the show was coming to an end, all three artists and the backup performers joined together to sing while the crowd held up signs saying “Believe in Love”.
The third quarter started tough for Carolina with a Graham Gano field goal hitting the upright. So, the Broncos used this to their advantage and got added three more points to their score by making a 30-yard field goal two minutes later.
Carolina then tried to start the fourth quarter right by gaining a fumble recovery and a 39-yard field goal, but, then again, Denver came back with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion by C. J. Anderson.
The final score was 24-10 for the Broncos.
This Super Bowl ended devastatingly for Newton with an interception, six sacks, and 18 incomplete passes.
Peyton Manning, on the other hand, went out with an interception, four sacks, and only five incomplete passes.
After the game, Manning avoided the question of retirement and exclaimed just how grateful he was to win the game.
However, Newton answered questions with only one word, said his loss was due to their team messing up, and left the interview midway through.
At the end of the night, the decided MVP was Denver linebacker Von Miller. His award marks the 10th time a defensive player has won MVP.
Overall, the 50th anniversary Super Bowl was unforgettable. Many records were set and Peyton Manning left his possibly last season with two championship rings, tying his brother.
