Eight years ago, Von Miller and the Broncos wrecked Cam Newton
Feb 7, 2024, 10:31 AM
Eight years ago today, Von Miller and the Denver Broncos absolutely destroyed Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50.
Denver’s historically great defense completely shut down the 2015 NFL MVP in the 24-10 victory. Some say that Feb. 7, 2016 was the last time Broncos Country was truly happy.
The team hasn’t made the playoffs since that day in Santa Clara, and has only finished with a winning record one time. That was the following regular season.
But this anniversary is all about looking back on a great moment in Broncos history. The franchise won its third Lombardi Trophy thanks to suffocating defense, and Miller was truly special. He sacked Newton 2.5 times, forced two fumbles (one that resulted in a touchdown) and won Super Bowl 50 MVP.
This is a better anniversary.
Eight years ago today, Von Miller and the Broncos wrecked the Panthers from start to finish. pic.twitter.com/54bzoM865s
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) February 7, 2024
It was also the last game quarterback Peyton Manning would ever play in the NFL. After battling through an injury to go from backup QB in Week 17 to a starter in all three playoff games, Manning truly had a fairytale ending to his legendary career.
He threw for just 141 yards on the night and no touchdowns, but Denver didn’t need him to be great to become champions. Manning’s leadership alone and clutch performance in the AFC Title Game against the Patriots two weeks earlier was more than enough.
Gary Kubiak became the second head coach in franchise history to lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl win, joining Mike Shanahan, who did it twice. General manager John Elway got his third ring with the franchise, cementing his legacy as the greatest Bronco ever.
Overall, it was just a really, really good day. A playoff run that saw the Denver defense beat up on Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady capped off their great season by doing it one more time against Newton.
If you really want to take a trip down memory lane, check out the Mic’d Up YouTube videos of the first and second half. Those have some incredible insights, highlights and moments you may not remember.
