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**In the last meeting between the Broncos and Panthers, Manning faced some foundational components of this current Carolina defense. Linebacker Luke Kuechly, the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year, was in his rookie season, as was 2015 All-Pro Josh Norman. But it's safe to say those players have developed significantly since then, rising to the ranks of being considered among the top players at their respective positions.
As they prepare for their second game against the Broncos, they're thrilled to have another chance to play against Manning after falling in that game 36-14.
Here are five of the top individual matchups for the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 against the Panthers.
The "chess match," as Panthers head coach Ron Rivera called it, of Peyton Manning's ability to diagnose a defense's intent and adjust at the line of scrimmage will be a wonder to watch during Super Bowl 50. Kuechly, on the other side, will helm the defense and try to discern what audibles are real and which ones might be fake. The Panthers defense has been among the league's elite in most statistical categories, but none grab the eye so much as their league-leading 39 takeaways in the regular season. Kuechly has kept that trend going into the postseason, and with a pick-six in each of the Panthers' two previous games, he's been a huge part of why Carolina has gotten to the Super Bowl.
Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips said Cam Newton's like no quarterback him—or anyone else for that matter—have ever seen before, and he's right. The level at which Newton is playing, from his passing ability and vision downfield to his running ability, has not been seen before in a quarterback. That in itself poses a difficult challenge for the Broncos' group of pass rushers, and particularly the edge rushers who will try to keep Newton penned in the pocket as the pressure closes in around him. Miller, selected one spot behind Newton in the 2011 NFL Draft, will have his hands full with the Broncos' offensive line and the quarterback behind them. But if last week's effort was any indication, Miller is more than ready for the challenge.
This game is loaded with dynamite matchups at every skill position, and this Broncos receiving corps against a talented Panthers secondary is yet another one to watch. In Super Bowl XLVIII, Thomas set a Super Bowl record with 13 receptions in the loss. With a similar performance, the Broncos could be in good shape. But games like that don't happen easily on Norman, who has established himself as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks.
After wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin went down with a torn ACL before the season started, analysts and fans wondered how the Panthers offense would do without its top receiver. In his place, WRs Ted Ginn Jr. and Corey "Philly" Brown have done well, but it's been TE Greg Olsen who's really seen an uptick in his role. He's dangerous anywhere on the field, but particularly in the red zone and has totaled 1,104 receiving yards on 77 catches with seven touchdowns. A week after defending New England's Rob Gronkowski, the Broncos' safeties will have their hands full again with Olsen. Stewart's size and Ward's speed should give him different challenges to deal with, and with some linebackers to add some physicality, the Broncos could give him a tough game.
Cam Newton is the dynamic force that makes the Panthers offense so dangerous, but it's the running game that sets the tone. Jonathan Stewart is a bruiser who can find space in the trenches to turn short gains into big ones with his vision and speed. He's gained 189 yards combined against the Seahawks and Cardinals, and with their front line, the Panthers' running game is tough to stop. But stopping the run is a big key for this Broncos defense. While the Panthers racked up 142.6 rushing yards per game, the Broncos held opponents to a league-low average of 83.6 yards. Brandon Marshall is a foundational part of that, as are the disruptive forces on the defensive line. How successful they are could decide how one-dimensional the Panthers become.
"He's the sheriff, man," Norman said. "He's my idol since I grew up. I know I played him two years ago and I have the ultimate respect for that guy. There's no one better, I feel, in my book. Even though he's got some age on him, still, he's the sheriff, man. Shoot, if I even get the ball from him, if he throws an interception, if God allows me to be there for it, I'll probably bow to him because that's how much I think about the guy."
For Kuechly—who is, in essence, the quarterback of the defense facing Manning—the mental challenge of going against the 18-year veteran is a thrill of its own.
"He's a guy that's got all kinds of calls and you've got to try to figure something out, but at the end of the day, you've just got to play your job because I'm sure he's got fake ones, he's got real ones," Kuechly said. "We're excited to be in this situation and it's cool for me to go against a guy like him when you spend your life watching him."
Outside linebacker Thomas Davis, one of the longest tenured players on the Panthers defense, joined his fellow first-team All-Pro teammates in lauding Manning for his level of detail in helming the offense and the success he's had throughout his career.
"Having a quarterback like Peyton Manning that knows this game and he has total command of their offense, he presents a huge challenge with the weapons that he has around him," Davis said. "It's going to be a big test for our defense, but we're up for the challenge.
"I mean, he's going to go down as—if not the greatest—one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play this game and you don't just lose that overnight. You look at some people talking about his arm strength, but in the Patriots game, it looked pretty good to me. He looked good throwing the ball to me, from watching the game. We have to understand that as a defense, that he's a true competitor. He's a guy that's going to come and want to do whatever he can to make sure that his team leaves that field victorious so we have to make sure that we're doing whatever we can in our power to make sure that that doesn't happen."
