Super Bowl 50 facts and figures
Game facts
Teams: Carolina Panthers (15-1 regular season) vs. the Denver Broncos (12-4). It is the third straight year with both top seeds in the Super Bowl.
When: 5:30 p.m. next Sunday.
Where: Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. It is the first Super Bowl at the stadium, opened in 2014. The Super Bowl was played in northern California one other time, in 1985 at Stanford Stadium.
TV: Ch. 4, with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms in the booth, Tracy Wolfson on the sidelines.
Line: Carolina by 4. Over/under, 45.
Officials: The crew will be led by referee Clete Blakeman, an eight-year veteran who once was the backup quarterback at Nebraska. Blakeman made news in the divisional round when his first coin toss before overtime failed to flip.
Halftime: Coldplay, with a guest appearance by Beyonce, who headlined in 2013.
Roman numerals: For the first time since the fourth Super Bowl, the game will not be referred to by a Roman numeral. The league says the numerals will return next season for Super Bowl LI.
Tale of the tape
Carolina PanthersCategoryDenver Broncos
0-1, having lost in 2004 to the New England Patriots.
Super Bowl record
2-5, the most losses of any team.
Cam Newton, 26, had a breakout season and is at the top of a short list of league MVP favorites.
Quarterback
Peyton Manning, 39, will become the oldest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.
Had a league-high 10 Pro Bowl selections, including RBs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert and LB Luke Kuechly.
Other stars
Four Pro Bowl selections, all on defense: LBs Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware and CBs Chris Harris and Aqib Talib.
Already playing without two key DBs, may be without LB Thomas Davis, who has a broken right arm. Davis vowed to play through the injury, but he will need to receive medical clearance.
Injuries
Harris played through a significant bone bruise in his left shoulder in the AFC Championship Game last week. With two weeks to heal, he may be at full strength for the Super Bowl.
2011. After a 2-14 season, had the top pick and took Newton.
Most influencial draft
Also 2011. After a 4-12 season, had the No. 2 pick and took Miller.
First in points, 12th in yards per play.
Offensive ranks
19th in points, 17th in yards per play.
Sixth in points, second in yards per play.
Defensive ranks
Fourth in points, first in yards per play.
Ron Rivera
Before Carolina, the longtime assistant was interviewed for several top jobs but missed out on all of them.
Coach
Gary Kubiak
Fired after eight years as the Houston Texans' head coach after starting the 2013 season 2-11.
Jerry Richardson, a former NFL player with the Baltimore Colts, made a surprise appearance before the NFC Championship Game in Charlotte to hit the team's "Keep Pounding" drum.
Owner
Pat Bowlen gave up day-to-day control of the team in 2014; he has Alzheimer's disease. Upon accepting the AFC championship trophy, his wife, Annabel, urged the team to "get it done for Pat."
New York Times
