Super Bowl 50, the pinnacle of sports and entertainment watched by over 100 million people in the U.S., happened this Sunday, Feb. 7, and in case you couldn’t find a television, laptop, or mobile device to watch it on, here is what you missed.
Super Bowl 50 was dubbed a marquee matchup of superstar quarterbacks, featuring prodigy Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers against future hall-of-famer Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Either Newton was going to culminate his MVP season with an incredible performance filled with touchdowns and “dabs,” or Manning was going to culminate one of the best careers in NFL history with a second Super Bowl victory in classic Peyton fashion.
Turns out, neither was the case as the two quarterbacks combined to complete only 48% of their passes, getting sacked twelve total times and committing two fumbles.
Peyton got his second ring, but it was his Broncos defense that compensated for his lackluster performance. Von Miller, an outside linebacker, became the star and MVP of the Super Bowl without ever playing a down on offense.
Miller was drafted 2nd overall in the 2011 draft. The only man drafted ahead of him was Cam Newton, the man he sacked 2.5 times and forced two turnovers against that led to two touchdowns for the Broncos. The Broncos defense was dominant, to say the least, pounding and bruising the previously invincible Newton with six sacks, recovering three fumbles, intercepting a pass, and even scoring a touchdown of their own. It will likely go down as one of the greatest defensive performances in Super Bowl history.
Because of it, Peyton may walk off into the sunset as a Champion, in a way that would make anyone jealous. The 5-time MVP and now 2-time Super Bowl winner is 39 years old, and may have finished the last chapter of arguably the greatest careers ever with a championship, though he did little to contribute to it. Manning had a meager 141 yards, threw for no touchdowns, and had a fumble and an interception.
As for his future plans, Manning wouldn’t reveal whether or not he would retire, but did say he would “kiss his wife, hug his kids, and drink a lot of Budweiser” (off contract of course). Regardless of his performance, and regardless of whether he decides to retire or continue on one more year, another Super Bowl cements Peyton Manning as a top quarterback of all-time.
In the end, the Denver Broncos won 24-10, adding a 3rd Super Bowl victory to their franchise—a feat only nine other teams have accomplished. The Carolina Panthers were kept from winning their first, but can look to build next year with the young core of Newton, defensive anchor Luke Kuechly, and a fully recovered receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who missed the whole season with a knee injury.
As for the other parts of Super Bowl 50, Lady Gaga nailed the national anthem. Coldplay’s halftime performance was overshadowed by Bruno Mars and Beyoncé, singing their latest hits “Uptown Funk” and “Formation,” respectively, and even blessing viewers with a dance-off of sorts. Commercials filled up empty space between the plays with so much material, Dr. Vos could give another Christ and Culture lecture on it.