From the story here by Mark Craig of the StarTribune:
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – A brilliant NFL legacy was cemented at Levi’s Stadium in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday night. Congratulations … Wade Phillips.
Time and again, Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos’ 39-year-old legacy-seeking quarterback, came up short or turned the ball over in his fourth Super Bowl and possibly final game of an 18-year career. But, time and again, Phillips, the 68-year-old defensive coordinator bailed him out by turning loose a swarming defense that stymied the Carolina Panthers’ No. 1-ranked scoring offense and punished MVP quarterback Cam Newton with a Super Bowl record-tying seven sacks en route to a 24-10 victory.
“Great defenses do this all the time,” Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall said. “Two years ago, we had the best offense and we got beat 43-8 in the Super Bowl. Seattle had the best defense and they kicked our butts. [General Manager] John Elway went to work. He built this team for this moment right here.”
To toughen the Broncos, Elway turned to defensive free agents such as DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and Darian Stewart. To pull it all together, he and his new coach, Gary Kubiak, turned to Phillips, who was out of work last season after being fired in Houston along with Kubiak. ...
“We were underdogs,” Phillips said. “They said we can’t stop this quarterback or that quarterback. So it’s real gratifying. From unemployed to the Super Bowl is good. From unemployed to winning the Super Bowl is even better.”
