Road to the Super Bowl: How the Panthers reached Santa Clara

Here’s a quick breakdown of how the Carolina Panthers went 17-1 on their way to playing in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos.

High point

The NFC Championship Game brought pitted the conference’s two best teams, record-wise, against each other. But by the end of the game — a dominant 49-15 win by Carolina — it was clear which team was superior. Quarterback Cam Newton was magnificent, completing 19 of 28 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns while adding 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The defense was even more impressive, forcing Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, a legitimate comeback player of the year candidate, into six turnovers.

Low point

This one is easy. The Panthers only lost one time all season, so their 20-13 defeat against the Atlanta Falcons in week 16 qualifies since it ended their shot at a perfect season. Newton came up big for the Panthers all year, but in that game he came up short in the end. Carolina got the ball back down seven points with about a minute left, but Newton was stripped by Vic Beasley Jr., dealing the Panthers their first regular-season loss in more than a year.

Play of the year

The old saying goes “to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.” And that’s what the Panthers did in week five, when Newton connected with tight end Greg Olsen for a 26-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers a 27-23 road win over the Seattle Seahawks, the two-time defending NFC champs. Carolina trailed 23-14 at one point, but mounted 80-yard scoring drives on their final two possessions and beat the Seahawks.

Team MVP

Another easy one. Newton has matured into one of the league’s best players, a supersized star who is 6 feet 6 and 250 pounds and can beat you with his strong arm and excellent running ability. Newton is considered the odds-on favorite to win the league’s most valuable player award after completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s also rushed 132 times for 636 yards and 10 more touchdowns while guiding the Panthers to a 17-1 record.

Best coaching move

Plenty has been written about how the NFL is now a pass-first league, and that is true. So it takes some guts to do what Panthers coach Ron Rivera did and go against the tide. Carolina’s commitment to running the ball has paid off. The Panthers have committed to being a run-first team by designing an offense that takes advantage of Newton’s strengths as a runner, and Rivera has seen Newton blossom into an MVP candidate as Carolina finished second in the NFL in rushing..

Defining moment

The Panthers’ 38-35 win over the New York Giants in week 15 was one of the wildest of the year on many levels. Carolina led by 35-7 in the third quarter, but the Giants scored 28 consecutive points and tied the game in the fourth quarter. The Giants tied it with a touchdown by Odell Beckham, Jr., who the Panthers provoked, hit and talked smack to all game long. The bizarre battle between Beckham and star cornerback Josh Norman became a sideshow, but the Panthers prevailed with a game-winning field goal thanks to a late 40-yard drive guided by Newton.

This story was originally published January 30, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Road to the Super Bowl: How the Panthers reached Santa Clara."