IT WAS the battle of the defenses in SuperBowl 50 with neither Peyton Manning or Cam Newton making much of an impact, despite the pregame hype.

The Denver offense got off to the better start, moving quickly downfield for a field goal in the first drive of the game, before disappearing until late in the fourth quarter when CJ Anderson ran the ball across the line for a touchdown, followed by a successful two point conversion throw from Peyton Manning to Bennie Fowler.

In contrast, the Panthers offensive line looked disconnected.

The pressure was on early for Cam Newton, who struggled to connect with his receivers and failed to take advantage of multiple Denver penalties that provided opportunities to get into the game.

The Panthers one and only touchdown came in the second quarter with running back, Jonathan Stewart, performing a running jump into the end-zone despite limping to the side-line in the first quarter following a big hit.

While Carolina’s defense was making life difficult for Peyton Manning, it was Denver’s defensive line that were the stars of SuperBowl 50, pressuring the Panthers throughout the game.

Early in the first quarter, Von Miller sacked Cam Newton, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive end, Malik Jackson for a touchdown.

They constantly pressured the quarterback, forcing him to throw away the ball on multiple occasions and sacking him seven times.

During half-time, Coldplay wowed fans with a colourful show that brought together the past, present and future of the NFL, featured a dance battle between guest stars, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, and an emotional montage featuring previous halftime shows by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Michael Jackson.

Following a vote by fans and the press, Von Miller was named Most Valuable Player, while Manning celebrated his second career SuperBowl win, to become the oldest SuperBowl winning quarterback and the first to win with two different teams.

The post-game celebrations and trophy presentation were emotional, following what is in all likelihood, Manning’s last NFL game, with the quarterback thanking his teammates and saying he wasn’t going to make an emotional decision regarding retirement and would take some time to reflect.

The 39-year-old was surrounded by the media in the moments after the final whistle and walked out of Levi’s Stadium a two-time SuperBowl winner.