Rozner: Brash Panthers have a Bears ring to them
If there's something about the Carolina Panthers that feels familiar, it should.
They are mean, brash, fun, colorful and go about their business of kicking grass and taking names while letting everyone know about it before, during and after.
It's one thing to be arrogant. It's another to back it up in a big way, and the Panthers have been doing that all season.
Cam Newton is the poster boy, naturally, because he's the quarterback and owns the biggest profile, but he's far from alone on the roster in the way he celebrates all things Carolina.
Yeah, they sure sound like the '85 Bears, and while they will never reach the same category as a team considered by many to be the best ever, in the salary-cap era the Panthers have gone about tearing apart the NFL this season in much the same way the Bears did 30 years ago.
As classy as they come, Carolina head coach Ron Rivera - himself an '85 Bear - would prefer his players not be considered conceited, and he admitted as much in the last few days.
Asked if he was offended by such a label, Rivera said, "Yes, I am. We've kind of crashed the party. We're kind of new to the scene. Not a lot of people know who we are, and so to draw a quick conclusion on that based on a couple of things is disappointing."
At the same time, Rivera wanted his guys to change nothing in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl 50.
"It's funny because I was talking earlier with one of our folks here about embracing the whole situation instead of the circumstances," Rivera said. "We have a little saying. Don't let 'it' get in the way.
"You sit there and say, 'This is a hassle having to come here and be around these (media) guys.' Well, guess what you just did? You created a distraction. So embracing it and being who we are is really helping us get past this.
"We're staying relaxed. We're not distracted. I think that's part of keeping your personality and making sure you are who you are. That's helped us, and I'm not going to have our guys change now."
It was Newton who admitted that the Panthers tightened up when they let Seattle fight back from down 31-0 at the half of their divisional playoff game to close to within a score with a minute left in the game.
"Cam made a comment about it a couple weeks ago and we don't want it to get to that point," Rivera said. "We want to stay who we are and that really helped.
"It's important that our guys stay focused on what the task at hand is, but at the same time do what we've done."
Denver had the best defense in the league during the regular season, but Carolina wasn't far behind at No. 6.
Both teams had a good offense through 16 games, but since the postseason began the Panthers have looked unstoppable, scoring 80 points in two games and piling up 385 yards per game, a lot of that credit going to the Panthers' defense in the process.
By contrast, the Broncos with Peyton Manning have averaged 22 points and 284 yards.
What remains to be seen is how the Panthers react to the moment, to the pressure of a game they've watched on TV all these years, while Manning plays in his fourth Super Bowl and attempts to leave the game on top.
Maybe.
"I haven't made up my mind, but I don't see myself knowing that until after the season," Manning said. "I kind of stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand and just deal with this week. That's what I've done all season.
"Had I been thinking about things (beyond) that it would've affected me, and so it's really served me well until this point and I'm going to stick with that."
Manning's experience is a huge advantage for Denver, but it's one of the few the Broncos know they have heading into the game. Carolina's defense is just as ferocious, has just as many playmakers and is on just as big a roll going into this game.
As for the two offensive squads, QB experience aside, it's not much of a contest.
If Carolina gets off to another good start, the game might not be much of a contest, either.
brozner@dailyherald.com
• Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.