5 Lessons the San Francisco 49ers Can Learn from the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos
By Peter Panacy
The Denver Broncos reign supreme after downing the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Denver’s notable run and exceptional effort during the game should provide influence to the San Francisco 49ers looking to regain their own forward momentum in 2016.
All the hype and fanfare that accompanied Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will begin to fade away now, and the Denver Broncos stand atop the NFL after defeating the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers 24-10.
The San Francisco 49ers idly stood by and watched — either from the sidelines and seats of the stadium or elsewhere across the country — a dominant Broncos defense manhandle Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and the league’s top-ranked regular-season offense over the course of four quarters.
In many ways, Denver took away Carolina’s game plan. This was a method often used by the Niners not all that long ago.
And yet so much has changed since the 49ers made it to three consecutive NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl berth.
But San Francisco finished last season with a 5-11 record, a last-place offense and a one-year head coach being terminated at the end of the campaign.
Not exactly good storylines when the NFL’s biggest game is being played on your field.
Still, the Broncos might have done the 49ers a bit of a favor. Denver was a far-from-perfect champion. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was essentially a non-factor during the game. Neither was his favorite receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Over the course of 2015, the Broncos offense wasn’t that good at all. This unit ranked 19th in the NFL with just 355 points — nothing close fans had come to expect from a Manning-led offense.
So how does this favor translate over? Well, Denver’s championship run should give some valuable lessons to the red and gold striving to get back to the Niners’ winning ways.
And there are plenty of lessons to be learned.
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