Bob Lobel: A Mediocre Bowl

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Peyton Manning's last pass went for two points. 

Maybe he didn’t play like a Hall of Famer, but he didn’t play like a college freshman either. Did they do the "going to Disneyland" thing with MVP Von Miller? I might have missed it. 

People are actually whining about Peyton's poorly disguised plugs for Budweiser and Papa John's. So what? Maybe he had a going away list. 

He should have thanked the chemists and medical folks who procured the HGH, or whatever got him back on the field after neck surgery.

Is "Defense Wins Championships" Back?

Von Miller and Denver's top-ranked defense made life miserable for newly crowned NFL MVP Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Behind the strength of a remarkable pass rush, Denver again pulled off a stunning upset, this time knocking off the favored Panthers in Super Bowl 50 by a final score of 24-10.

Pass rusher Von Miller was named the game's MVP after collecting 2.5 sacks and forcing a pair of fumbles, one of which was recovered by Malik Jackson for a touchdown. Denver sacked NFL MVP Cam Newton an astonishing seven times, with 13 quarterback hits, and held Newton without a passing or rushing touchdown after the Panthers star combined for 50 in the previous 18 games this year.

Much like Tom Brady two weeks prior, Newton was constantly under fire, and never got comfortable against Denver's top-ranked defense, turning the ball over three times after a year where he averaged less than one giveaway per game.

It got a lot of people thinking, in this era of exploding offensive numbers, is the "defense wins championships" mantra back?

Well, even before the game you probably could have said that. After all, despite the quarterback riddled story lines of Super Bowl 50, both the Broncos and Panthers were anchored by fantastic defenses. And, lest we forget, the historically good Seahawks defense won the championship in 2013, and was a crazy goal line interception away from winning another in 2014.

Your 10 Favorite Super Bowl Moments

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Every few years, my birthday falls on Super Bowl Sunday.

Now, you would think the universe would reward me for this arbitrary fact by putting my beloved Steelers in the big game on those years, but we all know life isn't fair and that bad things happen to good people all the time.

But I digress.

Still, since I'm a good dude, and because it's the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, I've compiled my list of YOUR 10 favorite big game moments. Sure, I have my favorite memories, but this is about you, the reader.

So, without further ado, here are those 10 moments you'll never forget.

Your Super Bowl 50 Primer

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We're finally here.

We have reached the last weekend of the NFL season, and what a long, strange trip it's been. Both of these teams got off to a hot start and never really looked back; they clinched the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences and then took care of business at home in the playoffs. Now we head to San(ta Clara) Francisco for all the marbles.

There are a ton of fun story lines for this Super Bowl, but we won't waste any time talking about them here, especially when we already spent way too much time earlier this week talking about them on our podcast. Here, we'll just worry about the x's and o's.

In our "By The Numbers" sections for these playoffs, we've been posting records (both straight up and against the spread) for how each team performs at home or on the road (depending on where the game is being played). Here, we've designated both teams as being "home." Historically speaking, teams playing on neutral fields perform closer to how they do at home than how they do on the road. I'm not sure why that is, but that's what I read somewhere. So there.

Denver vs. Carolina (6:30 p.m. Sunday, CBS)

Opening Line: Panthers by 4.5
Current Line: Panthers by 5.5

By The Numbers:

Denver: 
Record: 12-4 Overall; 6-2 Home; 8-6-2 Against The Spread; 3-5 Home
Average Score: 22.2 (19th) - 18.5 (4th)
Average Scoring Margin: +3.7 (10th); 9.7 "Expected" Wins
DVOA: -8.8% Offense (25th); -25.8% Defense (1st); +0.7% Special Teams (14th); +17.7% Overall (8th)

Carolina:
Record: 15-1 Overall; 8-0 Home; 11-5 Against The Spread; 6-2 Home
Average Score: 31.2 (1st) - 19.2 (6th)
Average Scoring Margin: +12.0 (1st); 12.1 "Expected" Wins
DVOA: +9.9% Offense (8th); -18.4% Defense (2nd); -2.4% Special Teams (23rd); +25.9% Overall (4th)

The Over Thought Podcast: Over Thinking the Super Bowl

On this week's episode of The Over Thought Podcast, the gang tackles the Super Bowl and football at large.

How has Super Sunday become an unofficial holiday in the United States, and what are some cultural implications of both the game and NFL? Plus, some obligatory comparisons to religion and politics, along with putting Cam Newton and Peyton Manning into boxes days before their show down in Super Bowl 50.

Check out our latest episode below, and give us a "like" on Facebook for the latest content.

Bob Lobel: Sunday Seems Less than Super

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Admit it, the spark isn’t there for Sunday. 

It's number 50, but it seems less than super. Maybe  we could increase interest if Donald Trump bought an ad, with his own money of course, to be live on the field for 60 seconds. That’s all the time he needs to make his point. 

He has lots of friends that are athletes, by the way, simply because he  gives them free golf. Nothing wrong with that.

Remember, he hired Flutie top be his quarterback in some league that nobody can remember existed. He loves Brady, and Manning too.

As for the game itself, why are people even picking Denver? That’s crazy. 

Super Bowl 50 Prop Bet Gambling Extravaganza

The Sportsbook at the MGM Grand. The happiest place on Earth.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Super Bowl Sunday is the greatest Sunday of the year for many reasons (closely edging Father's Day, which closely edges Mother's Day, which closely edges Arbor Day), but the greatest reason it's the greatest Sunday of the year is because it is the gambling capital of the year. No day sees more money placed on the line than Super Bowl Sunday.

We're here to break down all the great prop bets for the weekend - some you should bet on, some you shouldn't bet on, some you consider betting on, and some you should throw yourself in front of a god damn truck if you consider betting on. And just so we're clear, I've listed maybe 0.5% of the total prop bets in this post. There are literally hundreds of them. I tried to parse through the entire list but my ears started bleeding and I took that as a sign to stop. If you have further questions, reach out to me on Twitter and I'll tell you how much of a degenerate gambler you are.

Let's start with the old standby:

Player To Score First Touchdown

This is consistently my favorite prop bet every year. I usually win it by spreading smart money across two or three choices. This year, I'm going to give you just my best value bet, and my smart-money pick, but not before we go through all the choices.

Why Your Team is Totally Going to the Super Bowl Next Year

The Jaguars in the Super Bowl next season... It could happen.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Super Bowl week is in full effect, and for fans of the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, life couldn't be much better.

But, for the fans of the other 30 NFL teams, from hapless Tennessee to "oh so close" New England, not so much. Many of those teams' die-hards are already thinking of the NFL Draft and upcoming free agency, along with constructing elaborate scenarios for how their group will make it to Super Bowl 51.

That is, after they finish hate-rooting against Peyton Manning or Cam Newton.

Either way, here are all the reasons why your favorite team is TOTALLY going to the Super Bowl next season.

Joe and Daphne's Preview: Our Playoff and Award Winner Picks

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more at: http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-south.html#sthash.DcQNnZR2.dpuf

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more at: http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-south.html#sthash.DcQNnZR2.dpuf

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup)

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup) - See more at: http://www.suitesports.com/2015/08/joe-daphnes-preview-nfc-south.html#sthash.DcQNnZR2.dpuf

Daphne and I have already previewed each division in the NFL individually. So, if you'd like to look back at those to see your favorite team, check them out below, but now we're moving ahead with the big questions.

So, without further ado, here are the playoff and Award Winner picks from Joe and his less than six-month old pup.