Former Indianapolis Colts legendary quarterback Peyton Manning won an elusive second Super Bowl, as his Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10.
Only this time, the Broncos were led by a defense that featured a ferocious pass rush and a hard-hitting, lockdown secondary. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was sacked 6 times, while frequently being hit and hurried throughout the game.
Whether it was Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, or Malik Jackson among other pass rushers, Newton was constantly under duress and took some serious punishment in the pocket.
While Manning wasn’t great, he effectively managed the game and was good enough to get his team the Super Bowl victory. On the evening, Manning was 13 for 23 for 141 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and interception and a passer rating of 56.6.
It’s ironic because after playing nearly 18 seasons at an MVP caliber level, Manning effectively became a game manager for the Broncos en route to his 2nd Super Bowl victory.
At 39 years old, Manning finally was able to have someone else carry his team to the promised land–as he got to play a Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson role by managing the game, limiting mistakes, and having a great defense ultimately win the game for him.
Manning became the first ever quarterback to get to 200 wins (including playoffs) with his Super Bowl victory.
With two Super Bowl victories, he now goes back into the discussion with Tom Brady and Joe Montana for the greatest quarterback of all-time–at least for those who “count rings”.
