Well, I'm certainly happy to be wrong! Here's how I put it the other day:
Don't really feel too confident about anything related to this game. A Bronco win wouldn't be totally shocking if the defense just comes out and plays ferociously. A Panther blowout wouldn't shock me either.
I tend to think if the Broncos win, it'll be because the defense got some big turnovers (maybe even a score), and that Denver ends up with one great receiver too many for Carolina to cover (probably Sanders).
So, definitely wrong about the outcome, but I guess this is fairly accurate in the "if an upset happens, here's how it would" sense. Sanders didn't put up massive numbers, but he was wide open a lot, and the Broncos did indeed get that big turnover + score.
My main reason for thinking the Broncos might not win is that I wasn't convinced their offense would do much. Combine that with Newton's mobility, and I figured even constant pressure would allow him to make a few big plays. So even a tremendous game from the Denver defense might not be enough: they'd have to hold Carolina to something like 13-17 points. Which they did.
What really stood out to me were the fumbles. Not just the official ones, but all the ones that happened just as the play ended, or right after. There were, what, another 3-4 times where that happened, but the runner was ruled down just before? It seemed constant. Felt like every few plays the Broncos were knocking the ball loose. I've seen pressure from great defenses, but I can't remember the last time I saw a defense pry the ball free that often.
Huge congratulations to the Broncos and to Peyton Manning. It's kind of funny that he ran so many great offenses with mediocre defenses that didn't do much in the playoffs, and he gets his second Super Bowl on a mediocre offense with a great defense.
Both teams can feel good about their chances going forward, too. The Panthers have a bright future, and the Broncos seem like they've got the personnel to compete for at least the next couple of years even if Manning calls it quits, and even if the defense comes down to earth a little.