THEY’RE SUPER
Denver’s Peyton Manning, left, and Carolina’s Cam Newton lead their teams into Super Bowl 50 in much different ways.
DENVER — When Peyton Manning was watching games from the locker room a few months ago, none of this seemed possible.
Manning back on the field, playing the role of the most decorated game manager in history.
Manning churning his 39-year-old legs around right end for a 12-yard gain and a first down. Manning back in the Super Bowl. The strangest season of No. 18’s Hall of Fameready career will play itself out all the way to the last game. Manning and the Denver Broncos are heading to the Super Bowl, thanks to his efficient offense and a big-play defense that saved a 20-18 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday.
“It’s been a unique season,” Manning said. “And this game today was a unique football game.”
Manning’s third-quarter scramble for a first down — “The run,” he called it, using air quotes
— might be the most celebrated scramble by a Denver quarterback since John Elway helicoptered in the Super Bowl 18 years ago. It was certainly the most unexpected.
“He’s going to do what he has to do to win,” Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. “He’s one of the greatest competitors ever in this league.”
That play helped flip the field early in the second half for Denver (14-4). Then, defense saved the day.
Manning’s fourth trip to the Super Bowl wasn’t wrapped up until cornerback Bradley Roby picked off Brady’s pass on a twopoint conversion attempt that would have tied it with 12 seconds left.
Brady hit a double-covered Rob Gronkowski in the back of the end zone on fourth down from the 4-yard line to set up the potential tie. New England had to go for two because Stephen Gostkowski pushed an extra-point attempt to the right in the first quarter — his first miss in 524 tries.
“All day, these guys put their bodies and lives on the line, and for me to come out here and miss a kick, it’s a nightmare scenario,” Gostkowski said.
That left it to one play and, after the Broncos took a timeout to give DeMarcus Ware time to rest and get back in the game, Aqib Talib stepped in front of Brady’s pass and deflected it skyward.
Roby, who forced the game-changing fumble in last week’s win over Pittsburgh, made the pick. Denver recovered the onside kick, and the party began.
Manning improved to 6-11 in his vaunted series against Brady but is 3-1 with the AFC title on the line. Manning surpasses Elway as the oldest quarterback to take his team to the Super Bowl, where the Broncos will play the Carolina Panthers.
The Patriots (13-5) lost their last two regularseason games to squander home-field advantage. In a game that came down to one play, that might have made a difference. Another possible factor: Bill Belichick’s decision to pass up short field-goal attempts twice in the fourth quarter while trailing by eight.
“Because of the scoring situation in the game,” Belichick said.
They will have until the Red Sox open spring training to debate it in New England. In Denver, the season goes on.
Whether it has been Manning lining up under center or Brock Osweiler, who took snaps while Manning was injured for six weeks, the Broncos have depended on a defense that gave up the fewest yards in the NFL.
Von Miller finished with 21/2 sacks and an interception. The Broncos harassed Brady into a 27-for-56 passing day for 310 yards and two interceptions.
After giving it up twice on downs inside the Denver 20 late in the fourth quarter, Brady lobbed a 40-yard pass to a double-covered Gronkowski to keep the late TD drive going on fourthand-10.
But the Broncos barely held on, and the franchise is headed to its eighth Super Bowl. The last trip was ugly — a 43-8 loss to Seattle two years ago.
His 17-for-32 performance was not Vintage Manning. But 17 completions were enough, and the two most important were touchdowns to Owen Daniels, the tight end who has played his whole career with Kubiak.
“I’ve really tried to take it one week at a time all season long, through the injuries and all the things that have gone on,” Manning said. “I’ve stayed in the moment. Stayed patient. That’s served me well.”