Back in 2016, Cam Newton and Peyton Manning went where no two No. 1 picks went together before. But now, they’ll have some company.
This past Sunday’s Conference Championship Round saw the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams clinch their respective spots into Super Bowl LVI. Their victories also clinched a meeting between two quarterbacks who were the first overall selections in their respective drafts—Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford.
Next Sunday’s matchup of the 2020 and 2009 draftees will be the second of its kind, succeeding the Super Bowl 50 showdown between Manning and his Denver Broncos and Newton and his Carolina Panthers. You know, that Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for the latter party, the historic clash ended in a whimper. Carolina’s magical 2015 campaign—one in which the team went 15-1 in the regular season with Newton capturing near-unanimous Most Valuable Player honors—was capped off in a disappointing 24-10 loss to Denver.
The evening also saw both quarterbacks turn in a pair of ugly off-nights. Manning completed 13 of his 23 throws for 141 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble. In turn, Newton completed 18 of his 41 attempts for 265 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and two lost fumbles—both courtesy of another common denominator between these two Super Bowls in linebacker Von Miller.
So, uh, watch out, Joe.