Denver Broncos Making Bay Area a Wow Town by Mark Kiszla Denver Post February 6, 2016
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Denver Broncos making Bay Area a wow town By Mark Kiszla Denver Post February 6, 2016 Inferiority complex? Kiz, it has been almost two weeks of unrepentant aggravation around here, as every talking sports head and yapping news hound from Denver has bombarded the airwaves with glowing, positive prognostications belied by their orange-and-blue tinged glasses. All the inferiority- complexed, cow-towned, apoplectic Donkey fans have gone berserk in the streets of San Francisco, assaulting the average, reasonable working man with incessant yammering in nauseating detail about delusions of a Broncos victory. There is not a snowball's chance. Panthers 27, Broncos 13. Or worse. Davis, grumpy 49ers fan Kiz: Levi's Stadium is going to be a cow town. If the Broncomania I've witnessed in San Francisco is any indication, Denver will have more fans on its side at the Super Bowl. Of course, Carolina has linebacker Luke Kuechly on its side. Football's perils. Thanks for your column advising Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning to retire after the Super Bowl. I played small-college football but quit after one year and one serious concussion. But two friends, undersized linemen who loved to hit, kept playing and suffered many concussions. Both died in their 60s after many years living with serious brain damage (dementia in one, Parkinson's disease in the other). The NFL is a small part of the problem. Thousands of college and high school players will have reduced life expectancies because of football. Doug, Fort Collins Kiz: From Archie Manning to Brandon Stokley, I'm repeatedly told by former NFL players the game's rewards far exceed its risks. But 15 players younger than 31 retired in 2015, compared with five in 2011. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday he believes the increase has nothing to do with growing concerns about the dangers of football. Perhaps Goodell should be put in the league's concussion protocol. Numbers lie. You believe Carolina's Cam Newton is a better quarterback than John Elway? Wow. This is blasphemy. I've always liked you, Kiz. But now I'm shaking my head. Rusty, Longmont Kiz: Five seasons does not make a Hall of Fame career. But chew on this stat: Through five years, Newton accounted for 160 regular-season touchdowns, either by passing or rushing. Elway? 92. Playing with pain. And today's parting shot is an acknowledgment for the heart shown by Broncos defensive lineman Antonio Smith, who will play in the Super Bowl within five days of his 58-year-old father's death. I recall Keith Traylor of the Broncos, Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers and golfer Tiger Woods all honored memories of a parent's death with a stellar performance. I hope Smith does, too. Tom, Seattle Is Von Miller or Cam Newton the best athlete in Super Bowl 50? By Troy Renck and Mark Kiszla Denver Post February 6, 2016 Kiz: They were picked first and second in the 2011 NFL draft. Now Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller square off in Super Bowl 50. They will be the two most dominant athletes on the field. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Miller is a physical freak. But Newton is 6-6 and 245. That's nuts. "He's fast, he's strong, he's Superman," said Miller, in praise of Newton. Is the Vonster a match for Superman? Renck: Miller represents a walking mismatch. Newton might be Superman, but Miller can get "almost parallel to the ground" on his pass rush, as former Broncos star Tom Jackson said. Miller creates incredible leverage and angles for defenders. Combine that with his strength, and he can dominate anyone. Miller doesn't need to sack Newton on Sunday. He needs to consistently pressure him. Kiz: Miller likes to imagine he has the ability to play quarterback, but seriously believes he could be an NFL tight end. "I would like to play offense," Miller said. "But if Cam played defense, he would probably have to get paid $220 million. He could probably play defensive end, outside linebacker and strong safety. Never come off the field, go to offense and be Superman Cam on both sides (of the ball)." In the 18 games Denver has played this season, the best athlete on the field has been Miller. Not this time. It's Newton. Renck: Newton is LeBron James in shoulder pads. He has the potential to be a transcendent player. Newton is the best athlete. His bodyguards, however, are not. Miller and DeMarcus Ware have perfected jumping the snap count, and Newton is predictable in his cadence. If he remains so Sunday, Miller and Ware will be racing to the quarterback. Kiz: I hope Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips keeps Miller in attack mode against Newton, rather than putting the Vonster on his heels in a read-and-react mode as a contain linebacker against the read option. If Miller matches his spectacular 2½-sack, one-interception performance that he turned in against New England in the AFC championship game, the Broncos win the Super Bowl, no doubt. I think Denver could survive 300 yards passing by Newton, but if he rushes for 75 yards, Denver is doomed. Renck: Newton represents the only quarterback with a bruising running style. I disagree, Kiz. If Newton runs wild Sunday, the Broncos are doomed. It means the Panthers are controlling clock and forcing Denver to change its attack defense. The Broncos need to run the ball well, protect Peyton Manning and win third down defensively with Miller and crew pressuring Newton, making him uncomfortable — especially in the red zone. Super Bowl 50 could be closure in Peyton Manning's brilliant quarterback career By Troy Renck Denver Post February 6, 2016 The stories tumble in from all directions. Those defining moments of Peyton Manning's career that provide snapshots of why there never has been an NFL quarterback quite like him. In training camp two years ago, he worked with Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders on goal-line audibles for an hour — without throwing the ball. When he first started his offseason throwing sessions at Duke, he yelled at good friend Todd Helton for cutting his routes short and demanded that better intramural league players be found. He once spent off days in Columbus, Ohio, throwing to rookie Anthony Gonzalez as the newcomer completed classes at Ohio State. Determination rages inside Manning's mind, leaving him searching for answers when others don't even see the questions. At 39, looking to become the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the first as the starter for two franchises, Manning has been playing a kid's game for three decades. He is looking for closure — at least it seems that way — in a career that will remain memorable regardless of who emerges the victor of Super Bowl 50. Manning is not the last of the super geniuses, the quarterbacks who turned football into a science. But he was the first. For the better part of 18 years, he has been brilliant, consistent, the discipline to his craft extraordinary. "The king of preparation," said Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian, who became close to Manning in Indianapolis. "No one ever prepared as hard or in more detail than he did and does." Oddly, all the pieces began falling into place for a storybook ending on the worst day of his career. Seismic activity occurred Nov. 15 in Denver. Manning completed five passes and threw four interceptions, his last early in the third quarter against Kansas City. Soon after, coach Gary Kubiak benched the five-time NFL MVP, who finished the game with a 0.0 passer rating. A magnetic resonance imaging examination the next day revealed a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. It felt like a cruel end to a decorated career, a compromised Manning left to watch from the sideline, much like Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath at the end. he six-week absence, though, served Manning well. It unburdened him from the tension after nine uneven starts, which included an interception in every game. Broncos fans booed Manning in his lowest moment. Brock Osweiler took over as the starter. Peyton Manning in a backup role While disappointed about his injury and about letting his teammates down, Manning trusted Kubiak's plan to get him back on the field. He began a stair-step program: rest, rehab, fieldhouse throwing sessions with practice squad receiver Jordan "Sunshine" Taylor, before suiting up as a backup for the first time since 1994 in the season finale against San Diego. It was far from certain if he would play again as a Bronco. Osweiler, though, struggled against the Chargers, prompting Kubiak to call on Manning to pull the game out. The offense responded, the Broncos won, and Manning is on the doorstep of a movie-script exit. "No question that this season has had some unique challenges. I have tried to stay in the moment. Even with all the different challenges, I felt I had a peace about it the whole time, not knowing how it would all work out," said Manning, who is in his fourth Super Bowl with his fourth head coach. "That has really helped me. I am not trying to get too reflective or look too far ahead." The end is near. The signs are all around. Manning reached out recently to his head coaches in high school, college and the NFL. Several good friends and family will attend Sunday's game, including Helton and Manning's brother Eli, who will be honored in the pregame as a former Super Bowl MVP.