“OK, I want you to remember three things. No. 1, breathe. Don’t forget to breathe out there. No. 2, have fun. And No. 3, compete your asses off.”
Those were Peyton Manning’s words to his offensive teammates just before they officially took the field for Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.
When the clock struck 0:00 and Denver had beaten Carolina 24-10, Manning and the Broncos could finally do the first one - breathe.
It had been a crazy season. Despite starting 6-0, Broncos had won in waning seconds, often on a defensive miracle and with what seemed like barely enough offense to survive.