What happens when the league’s top-scoring offence meets the league’s stingiest defence in the biggest game of the year?
You need only ask the Denver Broncos, who found themselves in that situation two short seasons ago. Their answer: defence wins.
That answer did not benefit Denver, though. The 2013 Broncos led the league with 37.9 points per game but had the unfortunate task of meeting a generationally great Seattle defence that allowed only 14.4 points per game.
Denver lost to Seattle 43-8 in Super Bowl 48.
See more: Super Bowl 50 – The National's preview coverage and analysis
Two years later, the Broncos are back in the title game, but this time it was not due to their scoring; it was their league-best defence that allowed a mere 18.5 points per game.
The offence, though still led by Peyton Manning, is now an afterthought.
Fittingly, the Carolina Panthers counter with the NFL’s top-scoring attack (31.2 points per game), one that has put up points in bunches in play-off wins over Seattle and Arizona.
There should be no reason to think Cam Newton and company slow down on Sunday night.
But Carolina have not seen a defence – or, especially, a pass-rush – as good as Denver’s, and that is the reason I think the tested Broncos will pull off an upset.
The best defences Carolina saw this season were in Week 2, at home against the Houston Texans, and Week 6 at Seattle.
Carolina won both games, but Newton had two of his least productive days. The rest of the Panthers’ schedule is littered with wins against awful defences such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New Orleans Saints (twice), the Atlanta Falcons (twice) and the league-worst New York Giants, who almost beat Carolina.
The Broncos are in their second Super Bowl in three years with many of the same names, but as a completely different team. They know better than any side that defence wins titles – they saw it first-hand from the wrong sideline.
Of course, Carolina have a good defence of their own, but I trust Manning’s experience and savvy in dealing with what the Panthers will throw at him.
Newton’s season is one for the ages and he will be a the deserved MVP winner. But Denver’s experience and ruthless pass-rush will win the day.
kjeffers@thenational.ae
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Company%20profile
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7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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MATCH INFO
England 241-3 (20 ovs)
Malan 130 no, Morgan 91
New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)
Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47
England win by 76 runs
Series level at 2-2
