Broncos Defeat Panthers in Super Bowl Rematch: Five Things We Learned

In a rematch of Super Bowl 50, we learned many things about both the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers that could either hurt or help them throughout the season.

Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with nine seconds left, sealing the Broncos victory in the 2016 NFL season opener. With Trevor Siemian leading the Super Bowl champions to a 21-20 victory, Denver fans can now breathe easy knowing their team is just as competitive as last year.

Here are five things we learned from Thursday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.

1. Trevor Siemian can play

Fear not Broncos fans! Despite never throwing an NFL pass coming into tonights game, Trevor Siemian impressed out of the gate. He finished 18/26 with 178 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. One of the picks was not his fault, as a tipped ball landed in the wrong hands.

Siemian also used his legs to extend plays and gain extra yardage. He tacked on 20 rushing yards in his starting debut, giving Gary Kubiak playbook options going forward.

Denver will need to clean up their third-down efficiency, as they converted on just half of their attempts.

2. Cam Newton is still superman, but isn’t invincible

Sep 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) reacts in pain on the sidelines after suffering an injury in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2016 MVP impressed once again with nearly 200 yards through the air and 50 on the ground. He showed his physicality and speed, rounding the corner and scoring a touchdown early for Carolina.

However, Cam went down twice during the game after getting banged up. One sack he took looked to hurt either his leg or back, while a helmet-to-helmet hit in the fourth quarter left him down on the turf. The Panthers can not afford to lose Cam Newton if they wish to compete once again, and tonight proved they need to be better in that category.

3. Both defenses are still strong despite losing key playmakers

Both the Broncos and Panthers made it to the Super Bowl with the help of their defenses. Over the offseason, Denver lost Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson, while Carolina let Josh Norman walk.

Despite both teams losing key starters over the offseason, they flashed many of the same strengths they exhibited last year. Von Miller destroyed offensive tackles, Chris Harris dominated down field, Luke Kuechly took down running backs, and Star Lotulelei dominated on the inside.

Denver did look like they missed Malik Jackson on the inside, but they made up for it with their secondary and linebackers.

4. Kelvin Benjamin is back to rookie form

Many feared the Panthers season was over last year when wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL. While they managed to win without him, his presence on the field gives Carolina a major upgrade. Benjamin was the Panthers leading receiver Thursday, scoring their only receiving touchdown, and averaging over 15 yards per catch.

5. Denver can win without Peyton Manning

The Broncos were the underdog in this game in the eyes of many analysts considering the quarterback situation appeared unstable. While Peyton Manning was not his Hall of Fame self last year, he still provided leadership and led the Broncos to a championship.

Denver knocked off a very good Panthers team tonight, and showed they can handle not having Peyton under center. While many aspects of his game will be missed, Broncos fans should not worry about competing in the AFC once again.

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