Peyton Manning doesn’t attend party at Broncos’ team hotel

If you were interrupted by gossip at your Super Bowl party or by grabbing a bite to eat, don’t worry.

After a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton kept his post-game comments brief. They made more plays.

We may never know what happened on that fumble but we do know it was costly.

It’s doubtful that when Manning said he would take some time to reflect, he meant he would spend two days making a decision before announcing that he would, or wouldn’t, retire at the team parade.

Twelve years ago Jake Delhomme and Tom Brady both threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game that wasn’t decided until Adam Vinatieri booted a field goal with four seconds left to give New England a 32-29 win in one of the best Super Bowls.

The Broncos also should have stability on their coaching staff. Gary Kubiak and perhaps more importantly defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will be back next year as well. “I’m going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight, I promise you that”. But as the old saying goes, “defense wins championships”.

“This is a tough, resilient, unselfish bunch of guys”, he said, and thanked them for “letting me be part of the journey”.

Kubiak said: “I just told him how proud I was of him”.

Super Bowl 50 was the Broncos’ kind of game. No reason to give Denver another easy score that would make future sports historians think this game was somehow worth watching.

Miller set the tone early when he blew past right tackle Mike Remmers and ripped the ball out of Newton’s grasp. The ball was recovered by defensive end Malik Jackson for the first touchdown of the game and a 10-0 Denver lead. Once again, he got around Remmers and knocked the ball out of Newton’s hands. The Broncos lead the National Football League in total defense, pass defense and sacks and Newton got to see – and feel – that up close.

“Forever, they’re going to be like, ‘No, we’re the best, ‘ but hey, man, if the proof is in the pudding, and it’s there down on paper, we’re No. 1”. The front seven of the Broncos would outplay the offensive line of the Panthers virtually all day, leaving no room to run, and chasing down Newton.

“This is the rawest defense ever”.

Denver capitalised on Carolina’s disastrous turnovers and ugly penalties to claim their third Lombardi Trophy in franchise history as the most potent offense in the league crumbled against the league’s top defense.