Super Bowl 50: Who are oldest quarterbacks to play in big game?

“The Panthers have Cam Newton, one of the most explosive offensive players, and Denver has Peyton Manning who has a great football IQ”.

Now 39, and possibly playing in his final game, the Denver Broncos quarterback is considered to be one of the best passers to play the game.

Or so the theory went. Each of the losses has been by at least 17 points and the average margin of defeat is almost 30 points per game. He had a 24-to-13 TD-to-interception ratio in 2013, but those figures were just 18-to-12 in 2014. His backup, Brock Osweiler, also threw an impressive TD pass on a rope to wide receiver Cody Latimer.

The mix of Newton, who is peerless when it comes to his passing and running ability, and a running game powered by Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Stewart makes the Panthers’ nearly-unstoppable offense extremely hard to defend. Peyton doesn’t have to beat you by throwing the ball 60 yards down the field, he can beat you with six 10-yard completions.

When Newton pulls it down, he runs with a objective. That’s obviously not the case with Newton. He’s not just going to crater or fall down when Von Miller makes contact with him. That’s something that will help give them an edge on Cam Newton. Peyton Manning can’t do everything for this Broncos offense. “So that’s why I would like Peyton Manning retire happily, because I do not want to see what I think is going to happen if he goes for another year”. I use the baseball analogy of a guy that maybe threw 95-plus maybe can’t still throw that fastball, but maybe, he can work the corners of the plate, he can still strike a guy out.

Excuse me while I think about that Super Bowl again for a while.

That changeup is likely to get hit out of the park by Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman, among others. He’s one of the living Super Bowl MVPs scheduled to be honored during pregame ceremonies. I don’t know if the Panthers and Broncos are going to set the “lowest-scoring Super Bowl” record (Dolphins 14, Redskins 7 in Super Bowl VII by the way), but I get the feeling it will be one of those gritty, low-scoring games that come down to field position and field goals.

If C.J. Anderson can get a head of steam under him, he can open up the running game.

The Broncos defense is scary good and they seem to be clicking at the right time.

Rivera says his interest in football started early. Ginn’s ziz-zagging 22-yard touchdown run was great misdirection and was something the Panthers hadn’t shown all season. If Peyton Manning can find some of the old magic for a day, then maybe the Broncos can pull this off. But the Panthers have the look and feel of a team that won’t let this opportunity pass.

British viewers can choose between coverage on two channels, BBC Two and Sky Sports 1, something like 1.5 million will tune in.

This team has not gotten much recognition for its greatness, but it will Sunday night.

And it may have been a superstitious choice on their part: the Broncos won their last Super Bowl in those white jerseys during the 1998 season.