2015 Broncos defense that dominated Panthers earns high praise

The Broncos' Super Bowl defense got high praise for what they did to the Panthers and others.

Feb 7, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) in Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers might have won Super Bowl 50 if they'd faced virtually any other team. The Broncos had a sort of historic defense that year, and they perfectly matched up with Carolina's weak spots, particularly on the offensive line.

Von Miller made life a waking nightmare for Cam Newton that day, something no other player or defensive unit had been able to do for the entire season. It's a defense that will haunt Panthers fans for eternity, and it just got incredibly high praise from Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports.

Maybe the Panthers can take some solace in knowing that that defense is one of the, per DeArdo, 10 best title-winning defenses of all time. They lost to an all-time unit, and sometimes, all you can do is tip your cap in that situation.

"In the playoffs, the Broncos held each of their opponents to under 20 points while making big plays in each game. Defensive back Bradley Roby's forced fumble spearheaded Denver's comeback win over Pittsburgh in the divisional round," DeArdo said before diving into Von Miller's success. "During Denver's next two playoff games, pass rusher Von Miller made a slew of big plays that included an interception of Brady in the AFC title game (that set up a touchdown) and his two forced fumbles of league MVP Cam Newton that set up both of Denver's touchdowns in Super Bowl 50."

Without Miller's excellent, Denver probably doesn't win that game. Because of him, they scored two touchdowns and kept Carolina to just one. Their defensive unit as a whole was painfully good, but the Panthers can at least hold their heads high because it took one of the best defenses ever to beat them.

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