It’s time to play ball. That means good food, intense football, and friends.

Super Bowl 50 will be played on the 49ers field, the brand new Levi’s stadium. This is the stadium’s inaugural season and it is already hosting the Super Bowl. But who is playing? The Carolina Panthers and The Denver Broncos.

Before I analyze and predict, let’s see how both teams got here.

Starting with the Carolina Panthers: the Panthers came in as one of the top teams in the NFL. With multiple playoff appearances under Pro Bowler and potential MVP Cam Newton, the Panthers were poised and projected to make a run at the Super Bowl. They most certainly lived up to that projection. The Panthers topped off a near perfect regular season by winning 15 of 16 games. Through this, they clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs and also the NFC’s number one seed.

In their first playoff game, Carolina had to go up against the red-hot Seahawks team that nearly won the Super Bowl in the previous season. In this game, Newton had it going for him. His Panthers put up more than 31 points on one of the NFL’s top defenses in one half.

Close to the end, Seattle tried to spark a comeback, but it was not enough.

For the NFC title game, the Panthers had to play the Arizona Cardinals, who ranked as the fifth best defense in the league due to the likes of Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, and many others. In this game, Carolina was firing on all cylinders, forcing more than five turnovers and a Luke Keuchly “Pick six” which added to the scoring of more than 50 points as the Panthers routed the Cardinals in their quest to bring a Lombardi trophy back to the Carolinas.

Now for Denver: the Broncos came into the NFL regular season with questions surrounding Peyton Manning’s overall health and productivity.

But, Denver quickly proved the critics wrong by also winning the number one seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the help from their backup Quarterback, Brock Osweiler. The Broncos finished the regular season with an impressive record of 12-4.

In the divisional round, the Broncos had to play a threatening Steeler’s team. But, due to injuries, the Steelers were set back and Denver exposed their weaknesses. The Steelers led for most of the game, until a forced fumble gave Peyton Manning and the Broncos the ball back with a lot of time left on the clock. The Broncos capitalized on the Steeler mishap and ran away with the game with a final score of 23-16. The Broncos had one game left, and the only thing standing in the way of a Broncos Super Bowl berth was Peyton Manning’s kryptonite: Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Manning again proved the doubters wrong and showcased his excellence against the reigning world champions. The final score of this game was 20-18 as Manning’s Broncos squeezed by to punch their ticket to Santa Clara, California.

This Super Bowl should be one for the ages: a red hot offense versus a hard-hitting defense

My prediction

There are three keys to a Denver Broncos Super Bowl victory.

The first key to win is to keep Carolina’s quarterback,Cam Newton, in the pocket. The Broncos have to make Newton beat them by throwing the ball. If the defense cannot contain Newton, things can get out of hand very fast.

Second, the Broncos have to establish the run game early with either C.J. Anderson or Ronnie Hillman. With the run game established, the game becomes more controllable for Peyton Manning to execute safe and accurate throws while moving the ball down the field.

The third and final key to success for the Broncos is to win the turnover battle. Manning threw 17 interceptions on the season. However, he has yet to throw a post-season interception. Carolina has scored the most points in the NFL this season. Keeping the ball out of Newton’s hands will give the Broncos the best chance at a Super Bowl victory. The game should be an exciting match-up. My prediction for the Super Bowl is the Broncos winning the game late.

Denver: 23 Carolina: 21