Panthers, Broncos Gearing Up For Super Bowl

(By ESPN Staff)

Thirty teams have finished their seasons, and there's only one game remaining: Super Bowl 50. David Newton and Jeff Legwold look ahead to what Tuesday has in store for the Panthers and Broncos.

Carolina Panthers

Storyline to watch: Ball control. Denver cornerback Aqib Talib said the key to stopping Carolina is stopping the run. Then he was reminded how hard it is to stop quarterback Cam Newton. Talib just as easily could have said getting off the field was key. Carolina averaged 32:02 minutes of possession during the regular season and upped that to 36:08 in the playoffs. In their one loss, the Panthers held the ball a season-low 24:22. A big part of Carolina's dominance with time of possession is because it has the second-best run offense in the NFL. Talib was right. Denver has to stop that.

Injuries to monitor: Outside linebacker Thomas Davis practiced for the first time on Monday with a protective device over the right forearm that he broke in the NFC Championship Game. He said he will go with that protection unless the trainers come up with a better solution. He didn't seem concerned, but it will be interesting to watch through the week whether soreness develops as Davis gets in more work.

Stat of the day: More than a dozen. That's how many times Newton was asked to dab during Monday night's media session. He dabbed exactly once, and it was a halfhearted attempt. If Newton dabs at least three times celebrating touchdowns on Sunday, the Panthers will have a good chance to win. -- David Newton

Denver Broncos

Storyline to watch: Quarterback Peyton Manning said at Monday's media night that the seven starts he missed because of a left foot injury may have actually rested his arm, as well. Manning said his arm feels good as the Broncos prepare for the Super Bowl, and his teammates said he's throwing better than he has since training camp. And Panthers cornerback Josh Norman said he believes defenses make the mistake of underestimating Manning's arm strength these days but that he won't. "Especially early in the game, he'll take a shot," Norman said.

Injuries to monitor: The Broncos had a short workout at Stanford -- their practice home for the week -- and their only real major injury issue continues to be at safety. But T.J. Ward said on Monday night he expects to play, and the Broncos continue to have some optimism that Darian Stewart's right knee injury will improve through the week, as well. The Broncos did have a minor bus accident on the way back from Monday's practice, but there were no injuries.

Stat of the day: Manning has consistently talked about his patience as he has returned from his injury. Nothing may be a better indicator of that than the fact he has not thrown an interception in his past 9 ½ quarters of work since he entered the regular-season finale with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Panthers led the league in turnover margin this season at plus-20 and led the league in interceptions with 24. -- Jeff Legwold

Manning Won't Talk About Retiring

Just a handful of questions into the NFL's first prime-time media event, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was asked if Super Bowl 50 would be his final game.

"I've tried to stay in the moment, tried not to look back," Manning said in the opening minutes of his session at the Super Bowl 50 media night. "Just tried to stay in the moment."

Certainly, the narrative will be a common one as Manning moves through the week. At 39, he missed seven games this past season with a left foot injury. He conceded, though, that the time off to heal his foot probably helped his troublesome arm.

"My arm is what it is," Manning said. "Honestly, my having a little time off to heal my foot helped some of the other parts. ... My arm feels OK. My arm has not been the same since I was injured four years ago. ... If I could throw left-handed it would be a lot easier. ... It's just different than it was. ... It's got a few yards on it, miles on it, however you want to say it."

Carolina Panthers star cornerback Josh Norman wasn't buying talk of Manning's arm not having any zip left.

"Some say there's weakness in his arm, but I don't know what tape they're watching," Norman said during the Panthers' availability. "I've seen him overthrow his guys before."

Denver Broncos Bus Involved in Accident

The Denver Broncos were delayed in their return trip to their hotel after practice in the Bay Area on Monday when the team buses were involved in what the team said was a minor accident.

"No injuries were sustained and team is back at hotel," the Broncos said in a statement.

The accident occurred in the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 101. According to the California Highway Patrol, a CHP officer who was involved in the incident was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The CHP did not say how the officer was injured.

The CHP also said that one bus was disabled and had to be towed, and that the Broncos personnel on that bus were transferred to other buses.

"I was on my cellphone, and the next thing you know I saw guys just jumping up, 'Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!' and I look up and the bus was swerving," tight end Vernon Davis said. "We kind of ran into the back of a bus, and a bus ran into the back of us. No one really got injured or anything. All went well.

"I think the only thing that happened was my cellphone fell out of my hand."

Monday's practice was a walk-through at Stanford in Palo Alto, California, six days before Denver faces the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

The Broncos' team hotel is in Santa Clara, about 30 minutes south of Stanford.

Raiders to Stay In Oakland Next Season

Raiders owner Mark Davis said Monday that his team is negotiating a one-year lease extension with the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California, and expects his team will remain in the city for the 2016 season.

"As of today, right now we are in the process of trying to negotiate a one-year extension at the Oakland Coliseum to play the 2016 season there," Davis said in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami for his "TK Show" podcast. "And after we get that done, we'll sit down and try to figure out where the future of the Raiders lies."

Davis said the Raiders remaining in their current situation for 2016 is "not desirable" but "in life, you have to do things that make sense, and this absolutely makes sense."

He said the Raiders are not seeking any changes to the terms of their lease from last season, so it's "up to the city" when the agreement for 2016 is signed. Their current lease expires Feb. 17.

Sunday, February 7 Schedule (Time Central)

5:30 p.m., CBS, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara    

SUPER BOWL 50