SANTA CLARA, Calif. — If it feels as if we know a great deal about the Panthers and the Broncos, that is largely because they were so remarkably consistent this season.
The script was nearly the same each week: Carolina would dominate an opponent in the first half before coasting in the second and making the final result more thrilling than perhaps it needed to be; Denver’s offense would fail to inspire confidence, and the defense would have to work twice as hard to make up for the turnovers and inability to score.
But the teams ended up winning a combined 31 of their 36 games, including the playoffs.