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Super Bowl Predictions 2016: Who Will Take MVP?

By Ben Renner

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) reacts against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) reacts against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Super Bowl week at ECS is painful without a team to root for, but at least I can make wild Super Bowl predictions. Today: who could possibly win Super Bowl MVP besides the quarterbacks?

The presumptive winner of the Super Bowl MVP award is the quarterback of the team that wins. Cam Newton, also the presumptive winner of the league’s regular season MVP award, could lead the Panthers to their first Super Bowl win. Or Peyton Manning, the “Sheriff,” finds a way to dazzle the Panthers’ fearsome defense with his floppy arm.

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Setting aside these two obvious candidates for Super Bowl 50 MVP, which non-quarterbacks have a chance at leading their team to victory with an impressive performance*? Here are a few potential x-factors from both teams who could take the hardware:

  • Greg Olsen. An obvious choice, since Olsen is one of the best tight ends in the league and is Newton’s likely favorite target against a fierce Broncos secondary. Olsen’s ability to rip teams, including the Seahawks, up the seams will be crucial to the success of Newton and the Panthers’ passing attack. Unless Ted Ginn breaks an 80-yard pass on the outside on a blown coverage somehow, I don’t see the Panthers receivers getting any separation from Aquib Talib and company. That being said…
  • Tedd Ginn Jr. Then again, Ginn could break a long touchdown catch and run in this game. Ginn set a new career-high in yards per reception (16.8) this year and scored 10 touchdowns. In the 8 seasons he played before 2015, he had 10 touchdowns. If Talib slips in coverage, or Chris Harris gets hurt, Ginn could turn a dump-off pass from Newton into a TD scamper, which could be all Carolina needs to stymie the Broncos. (Against the Seahawks in 2015/16: 2 games, 5 targets, 1 catch, 18 yards.)
  • Luke Kuechly. Kuechly has been a key defensive contributor for the Panthers all season and especially in the playoffs, in which he has returned two interceptions for touchdowns in two games. Kuechly picked off a Russell Wilson pass and scored in the Divisional Round after Wilson led the league in quarterback rating in 2015. Then he made a revitalized Carson Palmer look like a jabroni with another pick-six in the NFC Championship game. If he makes it three games in a row and the Panthers win, he could take the trophy.

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  • A Broncos Pass Rusher. Demarcus Ware, Derek Wolfe, and Von Miller are the front-runners for the MVP award among the Broncos defensive line, but someone like Malik Jackson could also disrupt Newton and the Panthers enough to pull out a victory. Shutting down a run/pass threat like Newton is a tall task for any defensive line, but if one of these players can make enough plays in the Panthers’ backfield and work with his team to contain Newton, he’ll win the award.

    • Demaryius Thomas

    . Almost lost in the shuffle and the

    drama of his mom finally attending his games

    is the fact that Thomas is one of the best receivers in the league. His season line of 105 catches, 1304 yards, and six touchdowns is actually his worst since 2011, when he only started five games. He’s been very productive with Manning in his career. If he can gain some separation from star cornerback

    Josh Norman

    and come up with some clutch catches on the many ducks Manning figures to throw his way, he could make the difference for the Broncos.

    Super Bowl predictions: Could DT win MVP?
    Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) reacts against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
  • Owen Daniels. A wildcard to round out the list. Daniels is Broncos coach Gary Kubiak’s secret weapon. Kubiak drafted Daniels for the Texans in 2006 and took Daniels with him to Denver. Daniels’ two touchdowns against the Patriots helped the Broncos win the seventeenth installment of Manning vs. Brady in their last game, and if Kubiak draws up a few plays for his favorite tight end, he could contribute to a Broncos Super Bowl win.

    • Next: Super Bowl 50: My Prediction

    We’ll be breaking the game down and adding to our Super Bowl predictions all week at ECS. Make some of your own predictions in the comments below.

    *Linebacker Chuck Howley is the only player in NFL history to win the Super Bowl MVP award for the losing team. Howley’s Cowboys were defeated by the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V in 1971 in spite of his two interceptions. Turns out he didn’t even accept the award.

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