Some interesting tidbits from Opening Night:

 

Cam Newton on Carolina's chances of winning: "if they're at their best and we're at our best, we're going to win. "We have different ways to attack the defense and I feel as if we're at our best and the other team is at their best, not just speaking of the Denver Broncos, just any other team," Newton said. "If we're at our best and another team is at their best, we will still win."

 

Derek Anderson on nearly retiring: "I just was done. Mentally, I wasn't in a very good place," Anderson said, describing how he sat in his car one day after the 2009 season and pondered retirement. "I was done with it. I'd dealt with some things off the field. On the field, it wasn't great, and I really just kind of gave up on what got me to where I was."

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...ll-in-2009

 

Peyton Manning on Cam Newton: "He's just had this incredible year. There's no doubt in my mind he's going to be the MVP on Saturday night," Manning said on Opening Night of Super Bowl 50 festivities. "What he's done in the short time being an NFL quarterback, he's been awesome. He's been awesome. That's the best word I can think of. He's been a great passer, he's been a great runner, he's been a great leader. You don't go 17-1 as a starting quarterback without being awesome. And that's what he's been this year without a doubt."

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...is-nfl-mvp

 

Aqib Talib on becoming more professional at New England: "That definitely helped my professionalism as far as preparation for the game, how to handle the media, my behavior on the field -- everything. I really learned how to be a professional over there."

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...-with-pats

 

Wade Phillips on having his best defense ever: "I think this game will determine that," Phillips said Monday at Opening Night here in San Jose. "To hold Pittsburgh to 16 points and New England to 18 points, and we play a tremendous game this game, I think you'd have to rate them pretty high. It's up to everyone to determine that, it depends on how we play obviously, but you almost never lead the league in every category. And even rushing, we were third but we gave up the fewest yards per carry. So we almost literally led the league in every major category."

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...t-defenses

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