Our Take: 14 questions about this weekend’s Super Bowl
American-Statesman columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden discuss some of the major questions and story lines from Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos:
1. Where will Peyton Manning rank among all-time quarterbacks with a win?
Bohls: I’d put Manning fourth behind Tom Brady, Joe Montana and John Elway. A second title would be validating, but Carolina will win 27-13.
Golden: A win places him in the top three all-time, right behind Montana and Brady and just ahead of Elway. A 2-2 record in the Super Bowl is OK, but two rings adds to his already secure status as the best regular-season quarterback of all time. With that said, Peyton will come up short in a 30-14 loss and retire. Get the bust ready, Canton.
2. And where will Manning rank with a loss?
Bohls: I’d put him in the top 10 and on a par with Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Johnny Unitas and my favorite, Roger Staubach, a Navy man who
didn’t start his career until he was 27. Probably put him fifth, behind my three above and Unitas. After all, if he loses, his playoff record would be 13-14.
Golden: A loss makes Manning a borderline top five, but behind Elway. I’d lump him with Marino (my favorite), Favre, Staubach, Steve Young and Warren Moon, but behind Montana, Brady and Elway.
3. Will Cam Newton’s career be shortened because he runs so much?
Bohls: Yes, if he continues to do so. His 132 carries led all quarterbacks, and he’s topped 100 carries in all five of his seasons. It doesn’t really matter how big and how strong he is. The more he runs, the more he puts himself at risk against equally big and equally strong defenders.
Golden: No, because he runs smartly and places himself at huge risk only when he’s at the goal line. Newton has figured out when to stick his neck out and when to get out of bounds. Besides, the dude is 6-6, 260. We should be asking about the career longevity of guys trying to tackle him.
4. Which non-Pro Bowler will become a star on Sunday?
Bohls: Tough choice, since Carolina’s got 10 Pro Bowlers. One who’s not is safety Kurt Coleman, who has nine interceptions this year, including two in the playoffs. He could emerge as a pivotal player in the game.
Golden: Carolina’s Star Lotulelei. He’s already establishing a reputation as one of the most disruptive tackles in the league. Expect him to get to Peyton at least once.
5. Who’s the most overrated player in Super Bowl 50?
Bohls: Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas. Does anyone disappear in more big games? Love the story about how he has reunited with his mother, but he’s been a no-show in the playoffs so far (six catches, 52 yards, no touchdowns). Maybe this is his time.
Golden: Thomas. He’s blessed with tremendous gifts but will always drop a couple of easy balls or cough up a fumble in a big game.
6. Who’s the most underrated player in Super Bowl 50?
Bohls: I’ll go with a coach. Carolina’s Ron Rivera was unbelievably interviewed and passed over for other head coaching jobs eight times.
Golden: Roman Harper. Carolina’s gray-headed defensive back is only 33 and looks much old- er but still plays like he’s a rookie.
7. Did the Cowboys make a mistake by releasing DeMarcus Ware?
Bohls: Yes. That forced their hand to pick up the troubled and troublemaker Greg Hardy, who never lived up to his billing and proved to be a thorn in the coaches’ side and a cancer in the locker room.
Golden: No. Ware’s production decreased in his last couple of seasons there. Even if injuries were the cause, Dallas really couldn’t afford to pay a guy who might have been in a steady decline $12.25 million a season.
8. What’s your leadpipe cinch prop bet?
Bohls: This is a no-brainer — how many times will the Golden Gate Bridge be shown during the broadcast, with an over of 0.5 and an under of 0.5. Are you kidding me? At least once. But I’m betting three or more.
Golden: Take a quarterback to win MVP honors. Easy money. It’s happened in seven of the past nine years and in 27 of the 49 Super Bowls.
9. What’s your alltime favorite Super Bowl touchdown?
Bohls: Montana’s 10-yard pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left to cap a 92-yard drive and beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. It was Bill Walsh’s final game.
Golden: This won’t play well in this part of the country, but it’s Lynn Swann’s circus catch past Cowboys defenders Benny Barnes and Cliff Harris in Super Bowl XIII. It was football poetry.
10. What’s your most memorable gaffe?
Bohls: I’ve never forgotten the time Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas couldn’t find his helmet and missed the first series of Super Bowl XXVI. Not that he did much once he found his headgear, carrying only 10 times for 13 yards in a 37-24 loss to the Redskins.
Golden: Pete Carroll’s decision not to hand off to Marshawn Lynch at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX, which cost his team a second title. Malcolm Butler’s interception of Russell Wilson was 99 percent on the coach.
11. What’s your alltime favorite Super Bowl commercial?
Bohls: Any commercial involving the Budweiser talking frogs. Fell in love with “Bud,” “Weis” and “Errr” croaking in the swamp during Super Bowl XXIX. So did America.
Golden: The 1979 Coca-Cola ad featuring Steelers legend Mean Joe Greene with the kid and the jersey remains the gold standard. It still puts a lump in my throat.
12. Should cold-weather cities host future Super Bowls?
Bohls: Absolutely. Why not? I’d love to see a Super Bowl in a blizzard. And it’s only a matter of time until they play the big game in London.
Golden: I say no. The game should maximize the fan experience, and that best happens in a warm environment, whether that’s in a dome or in a warm climate.
13. Who’ll make it to a Super Bowl first: Dallas or Houston?
Bohls: The Texans, who could be a good starting quarterback away. The Cowboys are a general manager change away.
Golden: Neither is very close, but I give Dallas the edge because it has a great building block with that great offensive line and an experienced quarterback — for as long as Tony Romo sticks around.
14. Who’ll end up playing in Super Bowl 51 — er, LI?
Bohls: I see the Packers, with a healthy Jordy Nelson and without fat Eddie Lacy, beating the Brock Osweiler-led Broncos.
Golden: Green Bay and Pittsburgh will meet for the second time in a Super Bowl played in Texas. This time, Big Ben gets his revenge. Contact Kirk Bohls at 512-445-3772. Twitter: @kbohls Contact Cedric Golden at 512-912-5944. Twitter: @cedgolden