Only 30 minutes are left in the 2015 NFL season as the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers have just entered the locker rooms. While the Super Bowl halftime show is underway, we can look back to the first half and recap Denver's 13-7 halftime lead.
Overall, the first two quarters of Super Bowl 50 were dominated by defense and marked by bad offensive play by both teams. After the Broncos opened the game with a field goal-drive, the Panthers were unable to answer and turned the ball over on their second possession when Von Miller sacked Cam Newton and the quarterback's fumble was recovered in the endzone by Malik Jackson to give Denver a 10-0 lead.
The Panthers eventually found their offensive rhythm in the second quarter, when the team drove 73 yards in 9 plays, capped by a Jonathan Stewart 1-yard touchdown run to cut Denver's lead to three points. However, despite momentum shifting towards Carolina, the Broncos were able to increase their lead because of another Panthers' miscue: special teams did not play to the whistle and allowed Denver's Jordan Norwood to return a punt 61-yards, leading to another field goal.
With the score 13-7 in the AFC champion's favor, both teams traded turnovers. First Carolina fullback Mike Tolbert lost a fumble, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw an interception on the ensuing drive. Neither team was able to take advantage of the turnovers and the two teams enter halftime with a 6-point Broncos lead.
Carolina will receive the second half kickoff.