This Sunday will mark the 50th Super Bowl in NFL history and will feature the AFC Denver Broncos and the NFC Carolina Panthers. In a matchup of the past versus the feature, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will look for one last championship as he nears the end of his career while Panthers Cam Newton will be seeking his first ever Super Bowl.

The Broncos are coming off an interesting season that featured a team led by their defense as Manning found himself missing games throughout the season due to various injuries. Entering the playoffs, the Broncos claimed the number one seed and home field advantage throughout where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and the injury riddled New England Patriots in a close battle.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are coming off two dominant victories against very tough opponents including their 49-15 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game. The Panthers had their best season in franchise history as they went 15-1 in the regular season led by Newton who is a likely candidate for the MVP award.

This game features two great quarterbacks, defenses, and many pro bowl players. However, although this seems like an intriguing matchup on paper, the Broncos are clear underdogs due to their lack of consistency on offense. Manning has clearly exited his prime as he struggled throughout this season with turnovers and putting up points. The Broncos were carried to this point by their defense which ranked number one in the NFL due to stars such as linebacker Von Miller, who was elected to the pro bowl. For how good their defense is, the Broncos have not come up against an offense as dynamic the Panthers and will not be able to fully contain Newton and pro bowl tight end Greg Olsen.

The Panthers will be able to put up points and if the Broncos are not able to revitalize Manning, they likely will not be able to keep up. Although Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, his time to pass the torch has come as a hungry Panthers team is seemingly too dynamic on offense and defense to be stopped this year.

Prediction: Panthers 31 Broncos 13