# Super Bowl 50
**Super Bowl 50** was the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league)'s championship game for the 2015 season, played on February 7, 2016 at [Levi's Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/levis-stadium) in [Santa Clara, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-clara-california), where the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 behind a dominant defensive performance[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf). Broncos linebacker Von Miller was named the game's Most Valuable Player after recording 2.5 sacks and forcing two fumbles[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf). The game matched the NFL's number-one defense, Denver's, against the highest-scoring team in league history, Carolina's[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/r3jspagb4gk1tufbimah.pdf).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and site | Sunday, February 7, 2016, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California; attendance 71,088[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf) • [2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/r3jspagb4gk1tufbimah.pdf) |
| Score | Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10; Denver's third Super Bowl championship[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf) |
| MVP | Linebacker Von Miller, Denver: six tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf) • [3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224) |
| Quarterback milestone | Peyton Manning, at age 39, became the oldest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the first to win one with two different teams[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf) |
| Regular-season contrast | Denver led the NFL in yards allowed per game (283.1); Carolina led the league in takeaways (39) and ranked first in scoring[4](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-or-panthers-which-defense-would-you-take-in-super-bowl--0ap3000000628266) • [3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224) |
| Broadcast and entertainment | Aired on CBS; halftime show headlined by Coldplay with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars as guests, seen by more than 115 million viewers; Lady Gaga sang the national anthem[5](https://www.nfl.com/news/lady-gaga-will-sing-national-anthem-at-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000631477) • [6](https://as.com/us/us/2016/09/30/nfl/1475239620_923108.html) |
## The matchup
Carolina entered the game 15-1, led by league MVP quarterback [Cam Newton](https://www.edgepedia.org/cam-newton), and had routed the [Arizona Cardinals](https://www.edgepedia.org/arizona-cardinals) 49-15 in the [NFC Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-championship-game)[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE_y3iCUnck). Denver reached the game by holding off the New England Patriots 20-18 in the AFC title game, a win in which Brady was hit 19 times[4](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-or-panthers-which-defense-would-you-take-in-super-bowl--0ap3000000628266).
The two defenses were historically strong. Over the course of the 2015 regular season, Carolina and Denver gave up the second-fewest and fewest yards per play in the NFL, and the two clubs ranked second and first, in that order, in Football Outsiders' defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) ratings. It was the eighth time the top two DVOA defenses had met in a [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl)[8](https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/14723972/utils). Despite Carolina's record, oddsmakers and pundits leaned toward the Panthers: of 74 ESPN football contributors who made picks, only 19, or 25.7 percent, chose the Broncos[9](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14734128/ranking-reasons-super-bowl-50-upset-denver-broncos-nfl).
## The game
Denver scored first in a first quarter that set the tone. Miller beat Panthers right tackle Mike Remmers with a swipe move and knocked the ball out of Newton's hands; Malik Jackson recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Broncos a 10-0 lead[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224) • [10](https://time.com/4211600/peyton-manning-von-miller-super-bowl-50/). Denver led 10-3 at halftime and 13-10 after three quarters[11](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201602070den.htm).
**The decisive sequence** came in the fourth quarter. Carolina, trailing by six, drove into Denver territory, but [Graham Gano](https://www.edgepedia.org/graham-gano)'s 44-yard field goal attempt clanged off the right upright[12](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/CAR.pdf). Later, on third-and-9, Miller strip-sacked Newton for the second time in the game, the game-clinching turnover[12](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/CAR.pdf) • [3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224). A few plays later C.J. Anderson scored Denver's only offensive touchdown of the day, a 2-yard run, and Manning converted the two-point try to stretch the lead to 24-10[10](https://time.com/4211600/peyton-manning-von-miller-super-bowl-50/) • [13](https://as.com/masdeporte/2016/02/08/nfl/1454902656_602010.html).
Manning's own numbers were modest: he threw for 141 yards, and the coaching staff ordered him away from risky passing in the fourth quarter[10](https://time.com/4211600/peyton-manning-von-miller-super-bowl-50/). Denver's other points came from its defense and special teams. Jordan Norwood's 61-yard return was the longest return in Super Bowl history[13](https://as.com/masdeporte/2016/02/08/nfl/1454902656_602010.html).
## How Denver's defense won
Defensive coordinator [Wade Phillips](https://www.edgepedia.org/wade-phillips) built the plan that neutralized Newton and throttled the NFL's second-ranked rushing attack. Denver plugged the interior holes to snuff out the zone-read running game and blanketed Carolina's receivers with aggressive man-to-man and zone coverage[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224).
The scheme leaned on a 3-4 front with Sylvester Williams, Derek Wolfe, and Malik Jackson controlling the middle, and [Von Miller](https://www.edgepedia.org/von-miller) and [DeMarcus Ware](https://www.edgepedia.org/demarcus-ware) rushing off the edges on four- and five-man looks. Five-man lines eliminated double-team opportunities at the point of attack, and linebackers and safeties in man coverage gave Denver a "plus-one" defender in the box against designed quarterback runs[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224).
The secondary, the cornerback trio of [Aqib Talib](https://www.edgepedia.org/aqib-talib), Chris Harris Jr., and Bradley Roby, plus safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart, played man coverage on early downs and mixed in Cover 3 on long-yardage situations, forcing Newton to throw into tight windows and eliminating the run-pass option passes Carolina had used all season[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224).
The totals reflect the plan. Denver's defense tallied seven sacks and forced four turnovers, while Carolina's defense, itself strong, allowed just 194 yards and permitted only 1 first down on 14 third-down opportunities; Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy registered three sacks and an interception[14](https://edge-operations.nfl.com/media/nppjkdp1/2023-record-and-fact-book.pdf). [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus) graded Miller at +6.7 for the game, crediting him with three sacks, five hurries, and two forced fumbles, and noting that he was simply too much for Remmers to handle[15](https://www.pff.com/news/pro-how-von-miller-and-denvers-pass-rush-won-super-bowl-50).
## Records and milestones
The championship was Denver's third, in the franchise's eighth Super Bowl appearance, and head coach [Gary Kubiak](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-kubiak)'s plan of keeping Manning out of harm's way while the defense won the game drew wide praise[16](https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/197391/grading-the-denver-broncos-in-super-bowl-50). After the game, team president [John Elway](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-elway) stood at midfield, lifted the Lombardi Trophy, and shouted "This one's for Pat!" in tribute to owner Pat Bowlen, echoing the dedication made after Super Bowl XXXII[1](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf).
The game was played in 49-degree weather at kickoff, and the conditions and run-heavy style drew comparisons to the early Super Bowls[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/r3jspagb4gk1tufbimah.pdf) • [17](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14736348/best-worst-super-bowl-50-nfl). Levi's Stadium later hosted the game again with Super Bowl LX in 2026, the second time the venue staged the event since 2016[18](https://time.com/7371897/super-bowl-2026-ads-ticket-prices-sports-betting-halftime-show/).
## References
1. [Postseason Game Recaps: Denver Broncos, 2025 NFL Media Guide](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2025/DEN.pdf)
2. [Super Bowl Summaries, NFL Record & Fact Book](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/patriots/r3jspagb4gk1tufbimah.pdf)
3. [Broncos' defensive tactics flummoxed Panthers in Super Bowl 50, NFL.com (Bucky Brooks)](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-defensive-tactics-flummoxed-panthers-in-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000635224)
4. [Broncos or Panthers: Which defense would you take in Super Bowl 50?, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-or-panthers-which-defense-would-you-take-in-super-bowl--0ap3000000628266)
5. [Lady Gaga will sing national anthem at Super Bowl 50, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/lady-gaga-will-sing-national-anthem-at-super-bowl-50-0ap3000000631477)
6. [Oficial: Lady Gaga cantará en el intermedio de la Super Bowl, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2016/09/30/nfl/1475239620_923108.html)
7. [Super Bowl 50 Set: Panthers vs. Broncos, Around the NFL (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE_y3iCUnck)
8. [FiveThirtyEight: One of the best defensive matchups in Super Bowl history, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/14723972/utils)
9. [Ranking the reasons for Denver's Super Bowl 50 upset, ESPN (Bill Barnwell)](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14734128/ranking-reasons-super-bowl-50-upset-denver-broncos-nfl)
10. [Peyton Manning Takes a Backseat in Super Last Hurrah, TIME](https://time.com/4211600/peyton-manning-von-miller-super-bowl-50/)
11. [super bowl 50 - carolina panthers vs. denver broncos - february 7th, 2016 | pro-football-reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201602070den.htm)
12. [Postseason History: Carolina Panthers, NFL Media Guide](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/CAR.pdf)
13. [La defensa de los Broncos machacó a los Carolina Panthers, AS](https://as.com/masdeporte/2016/02/08/nfl/1454902656_602010.html)
14. [Super Bowl Summaries/MVP, 2023 NFL Record & Fact Book](https://edge-operations.nfl.com/media/nppjkdp1/2023-record-and-fact-book.pdf)
15. [How Von Miller and Denver's pass rush won Super Bowl 50, Pro Football Focus](https://www.pff.com/news/pro-how-von-miller-and-denvers-pass-rush-won-super-bowl-50)
16. [Grading the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50, ESPN NFL Nation](https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/197391/grading-the-denver-broncos-in-super-bowl-50)
17. [Best and worst of Super Bowl 50, ESPN (Greg Garber)](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14736348/best-worst-super-bowl-50-nfl)
18. [The Economics of the Super Bowl, By the Numbers, TIME](https://time.com/7371897/super-bowl-2026-ads-ticket-prices-sports-betting-halftime-show/)
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