Redbird Rants predicts the Super Bowl

You all are used to us talking about the St. Louis Cardinals, but we are more than just baseball fans, we are sports fans and can’t resist predicting the Super Bowl.

Today , we take a break from covering our St. Louis Cardinals to bring you our predictions for the biggest football game of the year. While you are preparing your famous buffalo chicken dip, the sportswriter in all of us can’t help but think of all of the different angles in this game.

There’s the easy one of whether or not Peyton Manning is actually going to retire, and if Peyton is going to ride off into the sunset or into the arms of another desperate team like our new arch nemesis Los Angeles Rams.

While I can only wish the World Series had this much of a following every year, this is without a doubt the biggest sports event of the year. Cardinals’ fans everywhere have a prediction about this game.

So, why not throw our hat into this?

To start things off, I will go ahead with my prediction of this game. After me, the rest of the participating staff will follow suit.

My Prediction

One of the things I have been thinking about these past two weeks is that there hasn’t been a Super Bowl in recent years and in my memory for a long while, where there hasn’t been a clear “fan favorite”.

We’ve had the NFL contrived dynasty of the New England Patriots to root against a handful of times, the bandwagon fan base of the Seattle Seahawks to root against once, rooting against the Steelers because they’re the Steelers, and many other “easy fan angles”.

It has been very hard to pick who I want to win this game for me. I have enjoyed watching Peyton Manning throughout his career and I would be perfectly fine with him winning one more Super Bowl to add his legacy. Not that it is needed, as in my opinion he is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

However, on the other side of things, you have got Cam Newton. A high energy QB with enough athletic ability that would no doubt make him a five tool player if he switched sports. He is an absolute treasure to watch, and is without a doubt the NFL’s LeBron James/Mike Trout.

To see Cam’s spectacular season end without a Lombardi Trophy would be an absolute disappointment, as he has been probably the most exciting player to watch in the NFL all year. Spare me the stories of how “he dances and showboats too much”, he’s having fun and if you could play the game at such a high level as he can, you would too.

With that said, this game is going to be an interesting one. Not only do we have two great QBs in Manning and Cam, but we have two really good defenses on our hands as well. Up to the point of writing this, I am absolutely torn on my prediction, as a Cowboys fan, I have seen first hand how Demarcus Ware can change a game, add in his teammate Von Miller and you have an elite defense.

However, Cam Newton is simply playing on another level right now, and I simply cannot pick against him, no matter how good that defense of Denver is. Carolina’s defense is pretty good in and of itself, and Peyton Manning has not shown he has the zip on the ball he once had. While I think he will give it his best, I think that he will try and force it a couple times and it will cost him dearly.

So my prediction is this, Denver 21 Carolina 38. Carolina will simply be too much for Denver to handle, but it will be a close fought game until the end. I cannot wait for this matchup. MVP honors will either go to Cam Newton or Josh Norman (DB’s aways find a way to win this award).

I will be manning our Twitter tomorrow night with some Super Bowl 50 live tweet action, I’d love to interact with you, so give us a follow below!

Next: Landon's pick

Co-Editor Landon Clapp

Being a recent import to the Denver area, I have to say that Bronco fever has gone into full effect. Everybody around these parts is sure that Peyton and their Broncos have the Super Bowl under control this time around. There is no stopping the mighty Broncos, nobody is worried about Cam Newton or the rest of that Panther squad.

On the other side, with just a single loss on the year, nobody would blame the Panthers for being a bit over confident heading into Super Bowl 50 as clear favorites. Led by Newton, the Panthers offense has been dominant all season long, and the defense is a very underrated unit.

I’m looking for just enough Peyton magic in what very well might be his last hurrah. I see Peyton coming out hot to the tune of a couple of first half touchdown passes. I see Demarcus Ware and Von Miller causing havoc off the edge and putting Newton into uncomfortable situations all night long.

I think the Broncos force a couple of early turnovers with Peyton and the offense capitalizing on those chances. The Panthers will make a valiant comeback effort, but the Broncos will kick a game-winning field goal in the final moments, sending Peyton off to his Rocky Mountain sunset.

Follow the game along with me on Twitter here.

Next: Josh's Predictions

Staff Writer Josh Brown

I’m not the biggest fan of cheesy, happy-ending movies. They are often watered down and predictable. But for some crazy reason, I believe Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will pull out a win on Super Bowl Sunday. This is probably one of the first times in his career that Manning has been viewed as such a big underdog, and for good reason after a horrid regular season full of injuries and interceptions.

But the future hall of famer has brought some magic back in the postseason, and I believe he has one more solid performance in his pocket before retiring and going out on top — much like Tony La Russa did with the St. Louis Cardinals after winning the 2011 World Series.

Cam Newton has been absolutely incredible for the Carolina Panthers though, and he won’t make it the least bit easy for the Broncos. Newton is a dynamic player and his time will undoubtedly come. This morning on Mike & Mike I heard that teams that had the No. 1 ranked defense are 9-2 in Super Bowl history.

That has to bode well for Denver. Still, the Panthers had the best offense in the NFL averaging a league-leading 31.2 points per game and are beating opponents by 20.5 points so far in the postseason, so something will have to give.

I’ve got Denver edging Cam and the Panthers 27-24 and Peyton Manning further cementing his place among the greats. Either way, this will likely be Manning’s “last rodeo.” We’ll see if he can ride it out.

If you want to follow me during the game, you can follow me at @jbrown116 on twitter.

Next: Joey and Austin's takes

Staff Writer Joey Schneider

Panthers 24, Broncos 20

Plenty of storylines surround Super Bowl 50 that could make for one of the most exciting championships in recent memory. Will Carolina have enough offensive depth against Denver’s top-ranked defense? Will Peyton Manning retire as a two-time Super Bowl Champion?

These questions will answer themselves as the game unfolds, but the team that can establish momentum early will likely come out victorious. As of right now, this edge sides with the Carolina Panthers, who combined for 55 first-half points in their previous two playoff wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.

Cam Newton’s athleticism allows the Panthers to mix their offensive strategy, rather it be the rushing game with Jonathan Stewart or passing to one of three recipients with at least five receiving touchdowns. Carolina’s offensive linemen, defense and special teams have maintained a simple, yet confident approach to complement the NFL’s highest-scoring offense.

However, Carolina’s ability to make in-game adjustments will be crucial against a Denver defense with strong pass rushers such as Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. Since the Panthers have overcame early-season doubts en rout to Super Bowl 50, they are a favorable pick to win their first championship if they continue to execute under pressure.

You can follow a the game along with me on Twitter here.

Staff Writer Austin Ward

The Super Bowl is always like a second Christmas and this year we have one QB trying to launch his career with the other trying to close out a legendary one. We’ve seen the Panthers rough up some really good defenses; but we’ve never seen the Panthers play a defense the caliber of the Broncos.

I think the X Factor is without a doubt Cam Newton. I see him being able to pick apart Denver’s defense no matter if they play too conservative or use their blitz happy approach. They also can’t forget that Jonathan Stewart is a dark horse in the back field. At the end of the night, just as Kolten Wong can hit the whip, Cam Newton will hit the dab.

You can follow the game with me on Twitter here.

Next: Michael Miles' Pick

Staff Writer Michael Miles

Super Bowl 50 quickly approaches.  I am a baseball man so this event usually denotes to me the passing of all other un-related sports from the radar and the advent of the baseball season.  Super Bowl also indicates to me that ESPN will squeeze all content possible out of highlights for the next week while supplementing their broadcasts with college basketball and NBA stories and highlights: a real snooze-fest to a baseball fan.

The Super Bowl cannot come and go quickly enough for me. The Super Bowl is a final gateway (think the St. Louis Arch) into spring and the reporting of pitchers and catchers and therefore cannot come and go quickly enough for me. With this in mind, and with my general lack of intelligence and care of professional football, I decided an interview of my teen-aged son would be a better fit for our round-up of predictions.

Teenage Predictions

Winner? Broncos

Why? Because of Peyton Manning and he has a lot more appearances (notice his poor grammar) in Super Bowls than anyone else.

Score? 32 Denver, 28 Carolina (clearly he knows as little about football as I do but even I know that those scores are unlikely to occur)

MVP? Cam Newton (WHAT?!  How can Newton be the MVP if the Broncos win?  See, even my son is lost.  I have clearly failed the football gods in teaching him but just wait until baseball season.)

Any severe injuries?  Nope.

How about halftime?  There will be some guest singers but we will just watch highlights (smart boy).  I know that Lady Gaga is singing the National Anthem.

Who is the popular player in this Super Bowl according to your friends?  Peyton Manning (again, why choose Newton for MVP?)

Summation

So what did I learn from this?  I learned that my son is just as lost on football as I am.  I also learned, gladly learned now rather than when/if I place a bet, to NOT follow the advice/prediction of a 13-year-old boy!  What does he know?!

Follow along with me on Twitter as we watch this historic game.

Next: Predictions from the Buffa