I, like many others, predicted that the Panthers would defeat the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, even with Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Derek Wolfe on the other side of the ball.

Like many others, I was wrong. Fortunately, unlike many others, I didn’t bet anything on the game.

As I sat in my living room, watching mistake after mistake, turnover after turnover, I decided that maybe this just wasn’t our year. The Broncos defense just wouldn’t let Carolina’s defense get anything started. It got to a point where, even as a diehard Carolina fan, I began to wonder if we were even a Super-Bowl-caliber team and deserved to be in the game.

Still, what Carolina did this year won’t be forgotten. The Panthers did finish with a 15-1 season, despite many off-season issues that made people wonder if the team was even going to win seven or eight games the entire season.

Denver pulled off the exact same kind of feat, with Brock Osweiler coming in after Peyton Manning got injured and played like he was always the starter. Considering Osweiler even took out Tom Brady and the 10-0 Patriots, he deserves credit for keeping the Broncos relevant.

Despite the Panthers devastating loss in the Super Bowl, it’s clear many, including me, believe they will be returning to the Super Bowl again. And many were glad to see Manning ride off into retirement with a Super Bowl win.