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| SUPER BOWL SUNDAY | 33 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2016 By Jimmy Durkin Bay Area News Group Peyton Manning has gone from backup to back in the Super Bowl. Thought to be toast after he was benched and then sidelined by a foot injury, Manning has improbably led the Broncos to their second Super Bowl in the past three years and the fourth of his career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback missed six games because of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot and it appeared that the final memories of him might be his bittersweet 5-of-20, 35-yard, four-interception night against Kansas City when he set the NFL's ca- reer passing yards record. Instead, Manning rediscovered some of his old form and rode a powerful Broncos defense to a return trip to the Super Bowl and a chance to follow the path of another Denver star, John Elway, and go out on top as a champion — if this is indeed Manning's final season. Here's what you need to know about the Broncos as they prepare for their record-tying eighth Super Bowl appearance. Road to Super Bowl 50 The Broncos won their first seven games, even if it wasn't always pretty for Manning and the offense. But the Broncos owned the best defense in the NFL and leaned all year on that group. Brock Osweiler took over when Manning's injury fi- nally sidelined him and won his first three starts be- fore a 15-12 home loss to the Raiders. New England and Cincinnati stumbled down the stretch and Den- ver was able to capture the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage. The Broncos gutted out a 23-16 win in the AFC divi- sional round over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Manning's first start in two months, then Manning improved to 3-1 lifetime against New England in AFC champion- ship game with a thrilling 20-18 win. Turning point Manning's struggles were obvious during the first half of the season with uncharacteristic mistakes and an inability to throw downfield. But the team's suc- cess was making it nearly impossible for Denver to make a move. That changed with Manning's high-profile stinker Nov. 15 against the Chiefs. It became clear — and he acknowledged after the game — that he was hurting and hurting the Broncos. Enter Osweiler. The fourth-year backup still had the starting job going into the finale when Manning returned from the injury. But with Denver struggling against a bad San Di- ego Chargers team, Manning was called upon in the third quarter and guided the team to a comeback 27- 20 win that clinched the No. 1 seed. Coach Gary Ku- biak didn't reveal it at the time, but it also clinched Manning's starting job for the postseason. He came into the playoffs fresher than he could have been imagined and has survived on enough guts and guile and leaned on that tremendous defense to return for another Super Bowl. Big game history The Broncos have matched the Patriots, Pitts- burgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys with a record-ty- ing eighth Super Bowl appearance and hope to avoid adding to their record five defeats. Denver's 2-5 record includes wins by John Elway in his final two seasons and two of the three most lopsided defeats in the game's history. The worst was their 55-10 loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. They also were thumped 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks two seasons ago. Impact players Manning had the worst season of his NFL career, with only nine regular-season touchdown passes against 17 interceptions. But he has yet to throw an interception in two postseason games and enters his possible final game as one of the best quarterbacks of the generation. Outside linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are monsters off the edge. Miller harassed New Eng- land's Tom Brady with 2½ sacks and an interception in the AFC title game. Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib form one of the league's elite cornerback combinations and those four defensive studs made up Denver's Pro Bowl selections. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas led the team with 105 catches and 1,304 yards and Emmanuel Sanders caught 76 balls for 1,135 yards. Northern California ties Running back C.J. Anderson went to Vallejo's Jesse Bethel High, Oakland's Laney College and Cal. … Broncos coach Gary Kubiak was the 49ers quarter- backs coach for their last Super Bowl title after the 1994 season. … Quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp held two stints as the Raiders offensive coordinator (2007- 08 and 2012) and spent nine years on the 49ers staff. … Safety T.J. Ward prepped at De La Salle High in Concord. … Tight end Vernon Davis spent the first 9½ years of his career with the 49ers before he was traded midseason to Denver. … Receiver Kyle Williams (in- jured reserve) was born in San Jose and spent 2010- 13 with the 49ers. … Reserve defensive ends Antonio Smith (2014) and Vance Walker (2013) both spent a season with the Raiders. … Offensive tackle Ty Sam- brailo (injured reserve) is from St. Francis Catholic High in Watsonville. … Defensive backs coach Joe Woods held the same job with the Raiders in 2014. … Offensive assistant Brian Callahan is the son of for- mer Raiders coach Bill Callahan, played at De La Salle High and coached quarterbacks at Serra High in San Mateo. … Outside linebackers coach Fred Pagac was the Raiders linebackers coach from 2001-03. … Tight ends coach Brian Pariani went to Marin Catholic High of Kentfield and scouted and then coached with the 49ers for five seasons. … Assistant offensive line coach James Cregg held the same position with the Raid- ers from 2007-08. … Defensive assistant Chris Beake coached with the 49ers from 1999-2003 and 2010. … Assistant strength and conditioning coach Anthony Lomando went to California High in San Ramon. The Broncos will win if … Denver's defense creates havoc in the backfield for Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and can pressure the likely NFL MVP into making mistakes. The Bron- cos will have to slow the league's No. 2 rushing at- tack (146.2 yards in the regular season) and keep the Panthers from jumping to a quick start as they did in both of their playoff wins. … Manning isn't going to win this game for the Broncos, but he has to avoid losing it by taking big sacks or turning the ball over. He has a chance to add a final chapter to his legacy with a second Super Bowl title and has to seize that opportunity. BACK TO THE TOP BRONCOS Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos looks on aer defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24 in Denver. EZRA SHAW — GETTY IMAGES