About two hours before kickoff Sunday, one of the most important members of the Denver Broncos will walk onto the field at Levis Stadium to prepare for the Super Bowl. He plans to run for a bit, and catch 50 to 75 passes. After finishing his pregame routine, he will retreat to the locker room, cool down and change.
Then he will watch the game from the sideline.
Jordan Taylors contributions to the Broncos postseason push can be quantified by what he wore on the teams charter flight to California: a custom-fitted charcoal suit that, he said, was the nicest he has ever worn, and probably ever will.
Peyton Manning purchased that suit for him, as well as two shirts and ties, as a token of appreciation to thank Taylor, a spindly rookie on Denvers practice squad, for extending his career.
part of the poblem right now is that there's been 2 weeks of prognostication and everyone that gets a camera jammed in their face gives you their 2 cents on how this team or that team can win/lose the game.
and it all makes sense, in the general football philosophy world of how you win.
but then you still have to look at what these teams do, and who they are. and it still comes back to Carolina has to help Denver win.
if we don't turn it over, and run the ball, i don't see Denver's offense outscoring us.
i don't see Denver lining up and just beating us straight up. and while i certainly respect Denver's defense, this offense it's going up against just isn't the type of offense that gets dominated.
i think its the best defense we've played all year, but i know this is the best, and most physical, offense they've played all year.
and i still like our defensive front against their O line.
just don't turn it over and make dumb mistakes.
the scariest thing for me right now is if this is the game that brown and ginn decide to have the dropsies again...because they will both have opportunities to impact this game.
I like that, Manning and wrinklesI think the Broncos are going to play their best game of the year and win by 4.
You've got the #1 Defense feeling disrespected. And Manning with 2 weeks off to work in a few wrinkles.
I think it will come down to the final drive with Denver getting a defensive stop to clinch it.
I know that there will be people that disagree, but I think that the Broncos are a better team. I think this will be a tight game, but Peyton gets the Broncos into position on the final drive for a McManus game winning fg.
Denver: 20
Carolina: 17
The early betting action on Super Bowl 50 in Las Vegas was lopsided toward the favored Carolina Panthers.
That is changing. So much money has been showing up on the Denver Broncos recently that some sportsbooks are beginning to wonder if they'll be rooting for the Panthers come Sunday.
On Saturday, the Panthers were consensus 5.5-point favorites. They had opened as low as 3.5 favorites and attracted the bulk of the early money -- as much as 90 percent at some Nevada sportsbooks.
But a midweek flurry of big bets on Denver from respected players, followed by weekend money on the underdog Broncos, evened out the action.