As the first round of playoffs pass by, we inch closer to unveiling  the matchup for Super Bowl 50. On the way to this championship game, we are treated to the classic matchup of Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady in the AFC Championship, as well as an intense battle of offense and defense, as wide receiver powerhouse Larry Fitzgerald goes against the best linebacker in the NFL, Luke Kuechly, in the NFC Championship.

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After an exciting first week of playoffs, we will get to see a fourth Manning-Brady match-up when the Denver Broncos play on January 24. Each time that Manning and Brady have met each other in the playoffs, the home team has won, so the Broncos immediately have the upper hand with their home field advantage. Manning suffered a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot in week nine, an injury he is just coming back from with his return against the Chargers in week 17. Yet, even with the setback, his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers shows that he is still (debatably) the best quarterback of all time. On the other hand, Brady’s Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champs, have also suffered many injuries, including tight end Rob Gronkowski’s back and knee, wide receiver Julian Edelman’s foot and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer’s ankle. Yet, with most of these injuries healed up, this matchup will be yet another great game between two of the best quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. If I could predict the outcome, knowing this may be Manning’s last season, I would say the Broncos win the AFC title 24-21.

Since the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers did not play each other this season, an accurate prediction may be harder to conjure up. Yet, what we do know is that this game will be the first time that two Heisman winning quarterbacks have played against each other in the playoffs. Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton got his first post-season win last year against the Cardinals, but Cardinals’ quarterback Carson Palmer missed the game due to a torn ACL, so we can’t go off of this game for playoff predictions. The quarterbacks in the AFC matchup, Brady and Manning, have a combined 56 playoff game appearances. The NFC matchup is between two teams with significantly less experienced quarterbacks, but is also full of young talent. I believe that modern-styled Newton will win out over traditional Palmer, and the Panthers will beat the Cardinals 28-21.

These results bring us to the Super Bowl matchup that I foresee, the Broncos vs. the Panthers. Since the Panthers have never won a Super Bowl, the possibility of achieving the ultimate reward in addition to a one-loss season would be monumental in the Carolinas. Yet, with a seasoned quarterback like Manning playing against the Panthers, going for his second Super Bowl title with the momentum of what is potentially his last opportunity to perform at the professional level, there is no telling how these two powerhouses will collide. My Super Bowl 50 prediction is that the Panthers will beat out the Broncos 24-21. Perhaps my predictions will be disproven this weekend, or maybe they’ll be accurate down to the point-spread. We’ll find out on February 7.