Post Season QB Production for Peyton and Cam

[ATL96Steeler]

Not sure I completely agree that this is a bad match up. Defensively speaking I think the Broncos are one of the few teams that really can contain Cam. They have shown this year that they can change how they do defense and still have great success. Against Brady of course it is stick 5 in the box, have your 3-tech players play a bit wider so that Von and Ware can get one-on-one match ups, and cut off those quick slant patterns forcing Brady to have to hold onto the ball a half second longer. Now go back and watch their game against the Packers. People played the Packers completely different after the Broncos dismantled them in week 7 or 8. They played that more contain then pursue style because they knew they had great coverage on the back side. That is the big thing with the broncos is they can play Man Coverage across the board and still win those match ups. It is why I actually do think the Broncos will bring pressure up the middle in this one right into Cam's face trying to force him into some mistakes. Now Cam is probably the best thrower in the league when throwing off his back leg because he can still get plenty of power on those throws but the issue becomes accuracy. Can he still be accurate?

As for the Broncos offense yeah this is a bad match up but wouldn't about every team they play be a bad match up because well offensively they have been inconsistent at best. The one good thing they have actually had is that the 3 middle OL guys have actually done a decent job of forming a nice pocket for the QB to step into. To me this game will come down to the Broncos 2nd and 3rd WR winning their battles for the Broncos to have a decent offense. Josh Norman most likely shuts down DT. So it will be up to Sanders and Fowler/Latimer to step up their game for this one and go out and make a big play in my opinion. If they can hit a few of those passes early on maybe it softens things up for the run game to have some success. I don't expect them to rush for 150 yards but if they can get to that 100 or more rushing yards then the Broncos in my opinion stand a good chance.

I would also say maybe the biggest thing the Broncos have working for them is the emotional advantage. Players throughout these playoffs have said they are playing their butts off to go win this for Manning and Ware. We have seen in the past when such great leaders of teams are on their way out other players who respect the heck out of them do everything possible to up their game.

Honestly I have no clue how this game will go. I definitely see why so many people are picking the Panthers to win this game. They have the more all-around team in this game and the best QB of this past season at the helm. Most everything points to them being the victor but I also know this Bronco team has been one that has fought and clawed above the odds all season long. They actually set a record for most wins by 7 or less points. They keep battling to the end and that kind of heart doesn't usually get measured on paper. I keep listening to the past Bronco players from the 97-98 Super Bowl winning teams and they keep saying talking to these players they see that same drive coming from them. Have to remember that 97 team were the biggest Super Bowl underdogs in NFL history and they found a way to gut one out.

I look at it as a match up favoring CAR too. But, I'm not subscribing to a blowout.

I agree the DEN DEF is special...it took me a while to come to that conclusion. The DL guys for DEN have my full respect...they are the back bone of that DEF even though Ware and Miller are on ctr stage. Idt CAR is going to run roughshod over them at all.

But...the difference I see is Cam...being able to extend plays or make plays running even if to buy time to get pass off. I don't see that from Peyton, not on a consistent basis anyway.

If the game comes down to which QB gets effected the most. I sense Manning will get effected the most...typical drop back passer that has always been taught to climb the pocket to buy time...if Short & Loti are winning that battle inside like they did against SEA and AZ...Manning is going to have a tough day.

 

[Broncos6482]

I think it was CDumler who brought up the Packers game, I think that's a good idea of what to expect from the Broncos against the Panthers. The Broncos didn't really respect the Packers receivers, so they manned up, told them they had to cover for extended time, and then basically mush rushed at Rodgers to be sure to keep him in the pocket. And it worked because the Packers' receivers couldn't get any separation.

So to me, the game is going to come down to can the Panthers receivers win 1 on 1 matchups against the Broncos secondary? If they can, Denver is probably in for a long day. If they can't, Denver's defense should be able to contain Newton and the Panthers. Of course, the Panthers do run the ball much better than the Packers, so that's another thing the Broncos have to defend that wasn't a big concern against the Packers. All in all it's definitely a tall task for Phillips and the Broncos d to figure out a way to stop them.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I think what Broncos6482 is saying is that so far what we have seen from the Broncos is that we don't need our QB to go out and win the game. We need them to manage the game, pick up some first downs, and more than anything not turn the ball over. If the Broncos can contain Cam Newton though can they say the same thing? He has been such a huge part of their offensive success and let's say the Broncos cause him to have a mediocre game...Can the Panthers overcome that? I know people keep talking about how this match up reminds them of the last Broncos Super Bowl with the Broncos being so outmatched but to me it is actually the reverse of the Panthers being so dependent on their QB to really go out and win some of these games just like the Broncos depended on Manning have a great game every week. Now the Panthers have a lot better and healthier defense than the Broncos did in 2013 but they have also shown they can win just about every way possible this year not depending on the QB to do sometimes even jack squat to win games.

I understood him. Barring a short field or two, Idt either team will see 27, so I'm not thinking Manning has to go 25-30 300/3 tds.

Although it might not show up big in the stat line, but DEN time of pos is key and in terms of DEN causing a mediocre game for Cam...I think they will, I think it will be a close game, but I sense Cam will perform better against the DEN D than Manning will vs the Panthers D.