Yes, of course, Denver’s defense is superb. But we didn’t get to see the matchup we should have seen. A great running offense against a great running defense.
I attribute what happened to it being the first time the Carolina coach and offense coordinator had been to the Super Bowl. What coaches new to the Super Bowl tend to do is think they’ve got to be more than who they really are, especially if they are a weak passing team. How many times we’ve seen strong running teams in the Super Bowl abandon their strength because of nervous coaches who think they have to score quickly by passing when they don’t have a good passing team.
I have yet to hear anyone talk about the fact that Carolina was one of the lousiest passing teams in the NFL this year but the 2nd best running team. The Carolina coaches got caught up in the Super Bowl hype and forgot who they were.
Yep, the #1 reason the Panthers lost is because Cam is not an NFL caliber QB. Like Kaepernick & RGIII before him, a quarterback who cannot read the defense and adjust accordingly has a short life-span.
Denver demonstrated how to defeat a run-first QB just like previous defenses had shown with SF & DC. Next year is going to be hard on Cam unless he spends the off season studying very hard. (Likewise for Kap & RG - I still think they can possibly play, but time is running out.)
It seems the only mobile person from the current generation who has transitioned is Russel Wilson. Like Rodgers, he uses his mobility to enhance his ability to play QB, not as a crutch when defensive schemes overwhelm & confuse him.