How the Denver Broncos Won the Super Bowl

This feature is part of Super Bowl Week at VICE Sports.

Yes, we're aware the Super Bowl hasn't been played yet. This is my best guess at the scenarios Denver needs to create to win (besides obvious swings like winning the turnover battle or special teams touchdowns). We've done the same for Carolina.

The Broncos Were Able to Pressure Cam Newton Without Blitzing

Newton had elevated his game to another level against the blitz this season. His quarterback rating when defenses sent five or more rushers at him, per Pro Football Focus, was 118.7. He had 21 touchdowns and three interceptions in those scenarios.

So, much like they did against Tom Brady, Denver had to decisively win the defensive line of scrimmage. Center Ryan Kalil was healthy enough to play, and Carolina is pretty strong on the interior of the line. That means that Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware won this game by wreaking havoc on tackles Michael Oher and Mike Remmers. The Panthers had been getting good work from Oher, but he fell short against all the talent Denver brings.

Because Carolina almost exclusively won on offense through Newton this season, Denver was able to rattle the youngster a bit. When Newton is able to sit back and create plays, he's a weapon that NFL teams simply can't account for. But Denver was able to neuter several quarterbacks in the same way this season, and Newton was just their latest victim.

C.J. Anderson Introduced Himself to America

We've been acquainted with C.J. for a bit, mostly through of his rise in fantasy football in 2014 and his subsequent cratering in 2015. But nobody expected Anderson to be able to shake Carolina like he did, rushing for 125 yards and two scores.

Anderson was the only weapon the Denver run game had to work with. Ronnie Hillman had been struggling for weeks despite splitting snaps. Though they stabilized from abysmal to average down the stretch, there was little to recommend on the Broncos offensive line coming into the Super Bowl.

Instead, Anderson patiently tore through the Carolina defense, creating several missed tackles. Thomas Davis played through 10 screws in his arm, so I don't want to insinuate that he's bad—he just wasn't healthy enough to keep Anderson down. One 38-yard run set the Broncos up in nice position for their first touchdown. Another 22-yard run created a field goal that Carolina was never able to overcome.

And, honestly, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised by the touchdowns: Carolina's had the league's worst red zone rushing defense, per Football Outsiders' DVOA.

Denver's Special Teams Made a Difference

Carolina's special teams have been a ticking time bomb for Carolina all season, the organization's one clear flaw. Coming into the Super Bowl, Carolina was 23rd in special teams DVOA. They were below average in every single facet of special teams play besides punt returns.

So it wasn't completely surprising that Denver's better all-around play on special teams was able to keep them in the game. The Broncos won punt coverage decisively. Jordan Norwood was able to bust a 20-yard return early in the game that kept Carolina's average starting field position in check. And while the Panthers threatened on offense, they were never actually able to get the ball in scoring position.

Emmanuel Sanders Feasted on Robert McClain

With Demaryius Thomas occupied by star Panthers corner Josh Norman, much of Denver's passing game relied on getting Sanders into space. When Carolina lost Peanut Tillman and Bene Benwikere for the season, it forced them into reserve corners. It forced their hand enough that they had to sign retired Cortland Finnegan off the street.

So while Peyton Manning wasn't able to stretch the field, the Broncos were able to convert on third-and-long often enough to string together a few drives. While some of the credit for that falls on the Denver offensive line keeping Manning clean, more of it belongs to Emmanuel Sanders.

Sanders roasted McClain on a bevy of slants, curls, and stop-and-gos. If Manning had been better with his placement, he would've had a walk-in touchdown in the second quarter. Instead, Sanders merely settled for a nine-catch, 120-yard game. Oh, and a Super Bowl title. I guess that's something, too.