Super Bowl 50: Von Miller spoils Cam Newton's party to send Peyton Manning out a champion

Linebacker Miller had five solo tackles, one assist, two and a half sacks and forced two fumbles. Little wonder then that he was named Most Valuable Player

 

Von Miller ripped up Cam Newton’s storybook ending and handed Peyton Manning a golden handshake for retirement, writes Keith Webster in Santa Clara.
Super Bowl 50 had promised fireworks after a season that had seen Newton’s Carolina Panthers lead the league with 500 points.

But Manning, keeping his cards close to his chest over whether or not he was playing in his last game of an 18-year career, went out on a high instead thanks to Miller’s dominant display in a 24-10 win.

Linebacker Miller had five solo tackles, one assist, two and a half sacks and forced two fumbles. Little wonder then that he was named Most Valuable Player.

We had come to see Manning’s swansong or the rise of the new king, Newton, but the first half saw both quarterbacks taken to school by a pair of outstanding defences.

Manning made a confident start before the concerns over his arm strength struck once more and Carolina’s defensive backs went hunting for interceptions.

At least he got started. Newton spent the early going trying to find imaginary receivers in the stands, such was the wild level over overthrows coming out of his $100m hands.

But it was those defences that made the difference. Miller’s lightning burst of speed to set up the first touchdown for Malik Jackson on a fumble recovery in the end zone was what we have come to expect of the Denver linebacker, while safety Darian Stewart appeared to be all over the field making plays.

Jonathan Stewart scored from a yard to pull the Panthers back in it but for Carolina, the troublemakers were no surprise. Thomas Davis, playing with a cast on a broken arm, was in fine form but it was fellow linebacker Luke Kuechly whose menacing presence caused Manning and the Broncos all sorts of problems.

His one missed tackle of the first half didn’t prove too costly but his speed, reflexes and ferocious hitting were the signature of an opening that was impossible to take your eyes off, a half that finished, fittingly, with DeMarcus Ware pounding Michael Oher to sack Newton from his blind side.

Carolina started the second half on the front foot and with the ball, having deferred at the start of the game but their fortunes got no better when the opening drive ended in Graham Gano hitting the top of the right upright from 44 yards.

As the second half wore on, Carolina offensive tackles Michael Oher and Mike Remmers came under increasing pressure as Miller, Ware and the rest of the Denver front seven caused chaos that left Newton on the run or on his back.

By the end of the third quarter, Carolina had three drives of 40 yards or more on which they had come away empty-handed. Against a Denver defence in this mood, you just cannot afford to do that.

The fourth quarter saw Gano connect from 39 yards to reduce the deficit to six points but as Carolina’s protection problems persisted, so their hopes and chances faded.



Miller’s final act put the seal on the game with four minutes to play as he fought off Remmers, who was holding him, and with his left hand stripped the ball from Newton’s hands. Denver recovered at the four-yard line and scored less than a minute later as CJ Anderson went in for the touchdown.