Super Bowl Loss to Denver: Stats & Analysis, Good links, tweets, etc.

[KB_fan]

I'm still heart broken about last night's loss and exhausted, since given the 8 hour time difference, I only had 1 1/2 hours of sleep last night after the game and a bit of time online to commiserate with all of you.

I don't have the time or energy to provide any original stats & analysis, and it may be a little while before I do.  But I at least want to provide a "gathering place" and a thread people can come back to  where you can find statistics, analysis, commentary about yesterday's game.

Please join in and post links, stats, tweets, article excerpts, etc. that give a good insight into exactly what went wrong yesterday.  Thanks.

Keep Pounding friends!  We still have a lot to be proud about, and excited about even though yesterday was really painful to watch.

[KB_fan]

As always, Black & Blue Review serves as a great starting point for post-game resources:

Stats & Superlatives:  http://blackandbluereview.com/stats-and-superlatives-panthers-super-bowl/

this really tells the tale.  Sacks, turnovers, penalties....
 

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The Panthers:

—Scored a season-low 10 points. They scored at least 20 points in all 18 of their previous games except for Week 16 in Atlanta, when they scored just 13.

—Gave up a season-high seven sacks.

—Allowed a season-high four turnovers.

—Extended their streak of consecutive games with 100+ yards rushing to 32 (including postseason).

–Gained 73 yards on their first half scoring drive and just 67 on their seven other drives in the half.

—Committed 12 penalties, the most since they were flagged 12 times against the Titans on 11/13/11.

 

 

Also at BBR:

Quotes to Note:  http://blackandbluereview.com/quotes-to-note-panthers-super-bowl/

What they're saying:  http://blackandbluereview.com/232979-2/

Rapid Reactions:  http://blackandbluereview.com/rapid-reactions-panthers-fall-in-super-bowl/

[KB_fan]

I've got to focus on my job for the next few hours.... hope I can post more links, commentary and some stats later....  Hope others of you will post stuff you find in the meantime.

[KB_fan]

Just a few more of the Panthers stats from BBR's Stats & Superlatives before I sign off for the day.   Unfortunately the "stat" / "trend" about MVP-winning QBs not winning the Super Bowl, which I and others mocked as not being relevant, continued.  Perhaps it really gets to overconfidence?

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QB Cam Newton

Continued a bad trend for regular-season MVPs. Rams QB Kurt Warner remains the last regular-season MVP to win a Super Bowl (1999).

Didn’t throw a touchdown pass for just the third time this season (Week 12 at DAL, Week 16 at Atlanta).

RB Jonathan Stewart

Gained his fewest yards (29) in a game when he’s had at least 10 carries (12) since he picked up 29 yards on 14 carries against the 49ers on 10/24/10.

TE Greg Olsen

Was limited to four receptions on nine targets after he combined to catch 12 of his 14 targets in playoff games against the Seahawks and Cardinals.

DT Kony Ealy

Became the first player in Super Bowl history with two sacks and an interception. He actually finished with three sacks, tying him with Reggie White of the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI and Darnell Dockett of the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII for the most in a Super Bowl.

Picked up his first interception since he was a junior at Missouri.

Became the first player since Leslie O’Neal of the Chargers (1/2/93 vs. Kansas City) with multiple sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in a postseason game.

 

I so appreciate Bill Voth's work in compiling these.  Sad that so many of the notable stats are negative.  Thank Goodness for Kony Ealy and the one ray of sunshine in yesterday's loss!

[KB_fan]

An article by Andy Benoit at MMQB looks like must-reading game analysis, but I don't have time to read it all yet for it myself this morning:

Never heard of Green Dog Blitzing...!

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/02/08/nfl-super-bowl-50-denver-broncos-defense

Here's how the article begins.

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Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and his unit utilized ‘green-dog’ blitzes and an extra lineman to overwhelm Cam Newton and a Panthers offense that had no answers in Super Bowl 50

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All week long the question was, How would the Broncos react to Cam Newton. Sunday’s answer: they’d make Newton react to them.

“He really doesn’t scramble a whole lot,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said, holding the Lombardi Trophy. “He tries to throw from the pocket.”

The Broncos at times dedicated a spy on Newton in situations where he would be more inclined to scramble, but mostly they went into attack mode, blitzing Newton out of their man-to-man packages.

Phillips’ biggest decision heading into this game was what to do with his extra defenders. He knew that in man coverage he’d often have at least one, and maybe two. The Panthers, after all, like to keep a tight end and/or fullback in to help their athletically average offensive line in pass protection. So what do you do with the man-to-man defenders who are assigned to the tight end or fullback?

Phillips’ solution was to have them blitz. This tactic, known as green-dog blitzing, is an aggressive yet relatively safe way to combat a dual threat quarterback like Newton. As long as the green-dog blitzers are patient and sure that their man is not just chip-blocking but actually staying in all the way, and as long as they’re disciplined in their rush lanes so as not to disrupt the four rushing defensive lineman, it can be a lethal approach.

Linebacker Brandon Marshall, who has been a key green-dog blitzer for Denver all season, said this was the plan every time they saw extra men stay in to help pass protect. “In a lot of games we saw on film, Newton was just sitting back, patting the ball,” Marshall said. “We’d see two [free defenders] in the middle of the field just not doing anything.”

 

“They did everything that we saw on film,” Marshall said. “That’s the crazy thing. Nothing new.”

 

Another crucial benefit of green-dog blitzing is it prevents those extra blockers from doing what they’re employed specifically to do, which is help the offensive line. Tight end Ed Dickson can’t help heavy-legged right tackle Mike Remmers with a double team on Von Miller if Dickson has to react to a safety coming after his quarterback. Fullback Mike Tolbert can’t lend a hand to slower-footed Michael Oher against DeMarcus Ware if a linebacker has suddenly pinned his ears back and is rushing.

And often, the Panthers like to have Dickson and Tolbert blocking on the same side so that the entire O-line can slide the other way. By green dog blitzing, that O-line slide gets nullified because the green-dog blitzers become the edge rushers, allowing the D-lineman to run twists and stunts just a few slots over against the sliding blockers.

 

 

[KB_fan]

Lots of articles posted at PFF that may be of interest.  Let me first link them here, then I'll provide any relevant excerpts in the following comment(s).

Super Bowl grades:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-car-den-grades-miller-remmers-matchup-proves-key/

How Von Miller & Denver Pass Rush won the game:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-how-von-miller-and-denvers-pass-rush-won-super-bowl-50/

Panthers play calling limited Newton's effectiveness:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-how-panthers-play-calling-limited-cam-newtons-effectiveness/

 

And looking ahead to the off-season:

Carolina Panthers 2016 Off-season todo list:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-offseason-to-do-list-for-the-carolina-panthers/

Panthers & Broncos draft prospect thoughts:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/draft-nfl-draft-needs-for-the-panthers-broncos/

 

[KB_fan]

Ok, first, the Super Bowl top grades for the Panthers - no surprise, they're all on defense.   But I am surprised as to the WHO.  Didn't think Allen & CJ and Finnegan had better days than TD, Luke or Star?

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-car-den-grades-miller-remmers-matchup-proves-key/

 

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Carolina Panthers

— After the heights he achieved this season, Cam Newton’s (+1.6) Super Bowl performance definitely seems like a disappointment, but it’s important to note that it wasn’t a bad performance overall. He carried the ball on designed runs just five times, but it was a passer where the biggest impact was felt, with the Broncos generating pressure on 23 of his 49 drop-backs, and Newton completing just 31.3 percent of his passes under pressure. He wasn’t helped out by his supporting cast, with the offensive line’s struggles evident, and four dropped passes by receivers. A frustrating day for one of the best players in the NFL, but certainly not a terrible performance, especially given the circumstances.

— While they couldn’t get it done on offense, the Carolina defense kept them in the game until late in the fourth quarter, making life as tough as they could for the Denver offense throughout. The highlight on that side of the ball was defensive end Kony Ealy (+5.0), who had the highest graded game of his two year career, and by some distance. He did it as a pass rusher, with three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and in coverage, with a surprising interception of Manning on a play where he dropped back. Had the Panthers been able to mount a comeback, it’s likely we’d be talking about Ealy as the game’s MVP.

— He was arguably the best corner in the NFL for much of the 2015 season, and Josh Norman (+2.1) ended the year with another impressive showing. Targeted in coverage five times, Norman gave up just one catch for 22 yards, and a defensive holding penalty late in the game. All of the other three passes thrown his way were broken up, as he made life as miserable as possibly for Manning and the Broncos’ offense.

Top Performers:

DE Kony Ealy +5.0
DE Charles Johnson +2.7
DE Jared Allen +2.2
CB Josh Norman +2.1
CB Cortland Finnegan +1.9

 

 

[KB_fan]

Here's some of the analysis as to how/why the Denver D beat us so badly:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-how-von-miller-and-denvers-pass-rush-won-super-bowl-50/

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Part of the problem of limiting the Broncos’ pass rush is that they are so deep and varied that you can’t easily take players from any one spot to help out elsewhere. If you give Miller extra attention all game, then DeMarcus Ware will hurt you — or Malik Jackson, or Derek Wolfe, or Shaquil Barrett, or the blitz … you get the idea.

There were occasions in the game, however, when the Panthers could have dedicated extra attention to Miller, and chose not to. These were big errors that cost them dearly.

It appeared as though the Panthers underestimated the Broncos pass rush coming in. They knew it would be good, but they hadn’t budgeted for the idea that it was so good they really should have changed some things on offense and made adjustments to try and limit it.

 

Here the Panthers lined up pre-snap with an empty backfield, but both Greg Olsen and Mike Tolbert tight to the formation in perfect position to chip the Broncos edge rushers before releasing into a pattern. Olsen stayed in looking for work before sliding out and presenting himself as a receiving option, but Tolbert gave Miller a free run at Remmers — which all throughout the game resulted in bad things happening for the Panthers.

Miller was around the right tackle and to the quarterback in an instant, and instead of just laying a big hit, went for the ball, forcing a fumble that the Broncos recovered for a touchdown.

The Panthers linemen were asked to do an awful lot in this game against the league’s best pass rush, and it was too much for them to cope with. Some of these plays were inevitable, but plays like this could have been avoided had Tolbert chipped before releasing as he was in position to do. These small adjustments are the difference between winning and losing Super Bowls.

 

 

[KB_fan]

Here's some of the PFF commentary on Cam's performance and also the Panthers' play calling:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/08/pro-how-panthers-play-calling-limited-cam-newtons-effectiveness/

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We knew this Denver defense was good, but stumbles against Pittsburgh and injuries late in the season may have lulled us all into a false sense of sense of security, believing them to be merely good, and not great.

Newton was pressured on 35.5 percent of his dropbacks during the regular season, but 46.9 percent in the Super Bowl. In total, the Denver defense notched 35 pressures, and Carolina’s offensive line—which had the seventh-best pass-blocking efficiency during the regular season, allowing 145 total pressures in sixteen games—was responsible for 26 of them.

Newton began to feel phantom pressure even when the heat wasn’t coming, and when it was, he completed just 31.3 percent of his passes.

We saw some of the Cam Newton of old—a good, but not MVP-level quarterback—come back to the surface, with routine throws failing to find their mark. He didn’t play badly in the Super Bowl, but he also didn’t play as well as we have come to expect this season.

 

Late in the first quarter, Newton missed on the throw that has been his biggest issue during his career—and one that should be completed every time. Against cover-3, the Panthers had Ted Ginn open in the gap between corner and safety, but Newton simply airmailed the ball too high. He was sacked the very next play and forced to punt, already trailing by 10 in the game. This season, Newton has been hitting this pass with much better regularity, but when the pressure was applied in the Super Bowl, he regressed.

That’s not to say that Newton didn’t do good things in this game, and we saw some flashes of his ability both with his legs and arm. Early in the third quarter, Newton found Ginn again after working through his progression. This time, he hit him in stride on a deep-dig route, beating the safety with the throw that ultimately gained 45 yards.

[...]

The biggest asset to Newton’s play is his work in the run game. In this game, he carried the ball six times for 45 yards (7.5 per carry), but the Panthers ran surprisingly little of this, and barely broke out the option plays that are so difficult to defend, and which did pose the Denver defense with some questions. Newton instead became the focus of the passing attack, dropping back to pass 37 times, despite the game being close enough to continue running the regular offense right up until the killer blows late in the fourth quarter.

Carolina’s play-calling essentially hamstrung its own greatest weapon on offense, transforming an MVP player into just another quarterback, and doing so when facing the best pass-rush and coverage unit they have had to deal with all season.

 

 

[KB_fan]

Ealy got in the Super Bowl record books:

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In the Big Game, the second-year player registered three sacks. He's in good company; he's in a three-way tie for most sacks in a single Super Bowl (Arizona DT Darnell Dockett -- Super Bowl XLIII; Hall of Famer DE Reggie White -- Super Bowl XXXI).

Ealy intercepted Manning in the second quarter and forced a late fumble, keeping the Panthers within six and in contention for the Lombardi Trophy. The pick etched his name in the record books as he became the only player in Super Bowl history to record multiple sacks and an interception in the game.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000634844/article/panthers-de-kony-ealy-makes-history-in-super-bowl-50

[Thanatos]

“They did everything that we saw on film,” Marshall said. “That’s the crazy thing. Nothing new.”

This and the "Their playcalling hamstrung their offense."

I am just beyond disbelief at how completely awful our coaches were. They were completely unready for this game. Never would have believed it.

[KB_fan]

24 minutes ago, Thanatos said:

“They did everything that we saw on film,” Marshall said. “That’s the crazy thing. Nothing new.”

This and the "Their playcalling hamstrung their offense."

I am just beyond disbelief at how completely awful our coaches were. They were completely unready for this game. Never would have believed it.

Maybe this explains Cam's seeming tenseness / displeasure so early in the game long before it was out of reach and before he'd been hit too many times? 

Maybe he was frustrated with the coaching / game plan?  But who knows, it could have just been the Super Bowl nerves showing up as tightness.  But normally no game seems too big for Cam in terms of nerves, so maybe I lean toward the former.

[KB_fan]

Snap counts are up now at BBR:

http://blackandbluereview.com/super-bowl-snap-counts/

Notes re: Offense

—Chris Scott saw the majority of the snaps after Andrew Norwell left early with a hamstring injury.

—Devin Funchess played just one fewer snap than he saw against the Seahawks and Cardinals, combined.

—Jonathan Stewart’s sore foot meant he played fewer snaps than Mike Tolbert, which wasn’t an ideal situation for the Panthers to win the Super Bowl.

 

Notes re: Defense:

 

—13 days after he had surgery, Thomas Davis played every snap in the Super Bowl.

—The Panthers’ defense was in nickel 63 percent of the time.

—Mario Addison saw just six snaps, 31 fewer than Jared Allen.

—Kony Ealy had three sacks, an interception, a forced fumble/fumble recovery in just 23 snaps.

[thefuzz]

13 hours ago, KB_fan said:

Maybe this explains Cam's seeming tenseness / displeasure so early in the game long before it was out of reach and before he'd been hit too many times? 

Maybe he was frustrated with the coaching / game plan?  But who knows, it could have just been the Super Bowl nerves showing up as tightness.  But normally no game seems too big for Cam in terms of nerves, so maybe I lean toward the former.

Said it before, and all the way up to the game......"I hope the lights aren't too bright".

Ended up being just the case, but not just the players, but also the coaches.  We will learn from this, and get better, but I firmly believe that this SB was probably the easiest one to win that we will ever get a crack at.