BRONCOS, PANTHERS TO CLASH IN SUPER BOWL 50

The Denver Broncos are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, and the eighth time in franchise history.

The Broncos captured the AFC championship game Sunday on home turf as Peyton Manning threw a pair of TD passes to Owen Daniels while in the first half of a 20-18 win over the New England Patriots. Manning completed 17 of his 32 passes for 176 yards and no interceptions.

It was the fifth time Manning and Tom Brady have locked horns in the AFC title game. Manning now has a 3-2 edge in those battles.

The Broncos’ defence hounded Brady all afternoon, recording four sacks and knocking him down 14 times. Denver linebacker Von Miller was one of the stars of the game, recording 2 1/2 sacks and one interception.

Brady completed fewer than 50 per cent of his passes, hitting on 27 of 56 for 310 yards, one TD and two interceptions.

However, Brady converted a pair of fourth-down plays on the Patriots’ final drive, including a four-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski on fourth-and-goal with 12 seconds left. The Patriots would have tied the game with a successful two-point conversion, but Brady’s pass was tipped by Aqib Talib and intercepted by Bradley Roby. The Pats had to go for two after Stephen Gostkowski missed an extra-point try following Steven Jackson’s one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

The Broncos will head to Santa Clara, California, next weekend to continue preparations for Super Bowl 50.

The Carolina Panthers will join the Broncos in the Super Bowl. The Panthers won the NFC Championship game at home, 49-15 against the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

Carolina led 17-0 after Cam Newton hooked up with Corey Brown for an 86-yard touchdown with 49 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Cardinals pulled within 17-7 on David Johnson’s 1-yard run in the second quarter, but the Panthers’ 17-point lead was restored on Newton’s one-yard scoring run just after the two-minute warning.

The 2016 Super Bowl will be played Sunday, February 7 in San Fran in a 5:30 pm kickoff Sask Time.

(Associated Press)