Team Raleigh vs. Team Denver: home office showdown!
Bandwidth is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with our other primary office in Denver, CO. We started watching the NFL playoffs with great interest as our two home teams would win. Again. And again. And again. And we started talking about…what if? What if Carolina and Denver were in the big game? And then it happened. A game designed for us! It’s not as black and white as you would think – we have lots of Colorado transplants in Raleigh, so allegiances are strong and vary not by office, but by cubicle (because everyone is in a cubicle at Bandwidth).
Cubicles have been decorated to show team spirit, we’re taking group photos in fan gear to preserve this week’s excitement for posterity, and of course there’s a chili cook-off today. And we had to ask our employees – why is your team going to win? So here it is, straight from the mouths of our most die-hard Denver and Carolina fans, your super predictions.
Denver Broncos Will Win
by Nicole Lohani
Of course the Broncos will win. Before we get into the reason why the Broncos will win, let’s take a look at some of the reason the Panthers are so confident.
Sure the Panthers are 17-1, but they played in the awful NFC South Division. The Broncos didn’t play that division, but they did go 4-0 against the NFC. Sure the Panthers outscored their opponents 55-7 in the first half of the playoffs, but they’ve also been outscored 32-25 in the second half.
Now let’s take a look at why the Broncos win this game.
Leadership
It’s not just Peyton Manning, but also DeMarcus Ware. There is no better proven leader in the NFL than Manning. He may be on his last rodeo, but he still reads any defense better than any other quarterback in the game and keeps his offense moving when it matters most. Ware is the leader of the defense. He has helped lead the Broncos to be the best defense in the NFL this year.
Defense
Speaking of the defense … The Broncs are the #1 ranked defense in the league. The secondary refers to themselves as the “No Fly Zone” and their numbers back them with being ranked #1 in the NFL for lowest passing yards allowed. They held opposing quarterbacks to a league-best of 3,544 yards passing and tied for the third-fewest touchdown passes allowed (19). They’re also the only defense in the league with an allowed passing yard average below 200 per game, which is pretty mind-boggling in today’s “air-it-out” league. They have also led the entire league with a ridiculously impressive 52 sacks. The Broncos defense is also top 10 in every other notable category as well:
- #1 in forced fumbles
- #3 in rushing yards allowed
- #4 in points allowed
- #7 in takeaways
Experience
The Broncos have 18 players with Super Bowl experience including 15 players with Super Bowl experience with the Broncos. The Panthers,on the other hand, have 7 players with Super Bowl experience including 0 players with Super Bowl experience with the Panthers.
The Pooch Factor
The Pooch Predictor race, held annually at the Palm Beach Kennel Club, pits one greyhound representing the AFC champs against another greyhound representing the NFC champs. Race officials say the winning dog has accurately predicted the winner of the Super Bowl 13 of 19 times. The Broncos’ greyhound on Saturday outraced the Carolina Panthers’ pooch.
Panthers for the win!
by Tyler Crumpler
Super Bowl 50 will without a doubt be one of the most memorable Super Bowls ever for the Carolina Panthers’ fans. Why will it be so memorable, you may ask? Well, that’s because it will be the first Super Bowl win in the franchise’s history.
I am pretty confident that I speak for all Panthers’ fans (especially the ones in Bandwidth’s Raleigh office!) when I say that the Carolina Panthers will be bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to North Carolina this year. If you’re left wondering, “what makes Panthers’ fans so confident?” let me give just a few of the reasons:
Reason one
And perhaps the most obvious reason, is none other than Cam Newton. This season Cam has really stepped it up and lead the Panthers to win the NFC Championship. With 45 touchdowns, Cam will be a force to be reckoned with in Super Bowl 50.
Reason two
This season, the Panthers’ defense has been top notch and you better believe they will continue to bring it this Sunday. With key defensive plays like Josh Norman, Luke Kuechly and Kawann Short, it’s pretty easy to argue that the Panthers have one of the best defenses in the league.
Reason three
Because we are just that awesome.
When you cheer for a team that is as fun to watch as the Panthers, you can be pretty confident that they will come ready to play in the Super Bowl. This season the Panthers boasted a 15 and 1 record, with their only loss being by just a few points. I’m not a mathematician, but I would say the Panthers’ odds look pretty good.
You don’t have to agree with me that the Panthers are going to win on Sunday (I don’t think anyone in Bandwidth’s Denver office does!), but regardless of who you’re pulling for, I hope your Super Bowl can be as memorable as this one will be for Panthers’ fans around the country.