Former Miami Dolphins WR Ted Ginn Jr. typically shines, confounds in Super Bowl
Ted Ginn Jr. is who he is — no matter what jersey he wears.
Ginn is very fast.
And Ginn is very predictable.
So when he caught a pass on a crossing route early in the second half of Super Bowl 50 on Sunday night, he — as expected — turned on the jets.
And then he — as expected — made a beeline to the sidelines.
The completion went for 45 yards before Ginn stepped out of bounds — a familiar criticism for the former Dolphins first-round pick.
He avoided tacklers in Miami like the Mob avoids taxes.
Even the prospect of a Super Bowl ring wasn’t enough for Ginn to initiate contact.
Ginn later had a hand in a Cam Newton interception by not getting a hand on the ball. A pass from Newton sailed through Ginn’s fingers and into the grasp of T.J. Ward.
Ginn finished Super Bowl 50 with four catches for 74 yards.
PANTHERS OFFENSE GETS SHUT DOWN
The Panthers offense was so bad in the first half that Carolina basically conceded its last possession before intermission.
After two turnovers, including one for a touchdown, the Panthers essentially decided they were fine going to the break down 13-7.
They got the ball back at their own 19-yard line with 1:55 left. They would run just eight plays the rest of the way, culminating in a Demarcus Ware sack, the Broncos’ fourth of the half.
TALES OF TALIB
Aqib Talib was pretty good Sunday — when he wasn’t making boneheaded plays.
The Broncos cornerback had three first-half penalties, including two personal fouls.
The first was a taunting call when he ripped off his helmet to talk trash.
The second was a facemask penalty in which he nearly ripped Corey Brown’s head clean off.
BRONCOS DO THE LITTLE THINGS
How did Denver have a six-point halftime lead with just four first downs?
Huge plays on defense and special teams.
Along with the four sacks and two turnovers forced, the Broncos got a huge lift from a 61-yard punt return by Jordan Norwood, who somehow convinced the Panthers he called for a fair catch without moving his arms.
The Panthers’ coverage team froze, allowing Norwood to scamper down the right sideline and set up a field goal.
AUTOMATIC MCMANUS
Just call Brandon McManus “Mr. Reliable.”
McManus made a 30-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 16-7 lead over the Panthers in the third quarter.
McManus was 3 for 3 in the Super Bowl and 10 for 10 in the playoffs.
After Graham Gano hit the upright on a 44-yard field-goal attempt for the Panthers, Peyton Manning connected with Emmanuel Sanders for 25 yards. Manning then hit Sanders for a 22-yard gain to the Panthers’ 17.
The drive stalled, but McManus then made another field goal.
THIS AND THAT
▪ Denver special-teams ace Kayvon Webster, who grew up in Opa-locka, dropped the former Dolphin Ginn for a loss of 1 yard on the Broncos’ first punt.
▪ Former Dolphins center Sam Brenner was one of seven inactive Broncos. Brenner began the season on Miami’s roster but was claimed by Denver after the Dolphins cut him in mid-November.
▪ The weather was almost perfect — with the only blemish being a howling wind that shook the goal posts. Temperatures were near 70 degrees at kickoff, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
▪ The MVPs of Super Bowls past were introduced in the pregame. Former Dolphin greats Jake Scott (Super Bowl 7) and Larry Csonka (Super Bowl 8) were both on hand.
▪ Lady Gaga sang a moving version of the National Anthem, with a piano accompaniment, that unofficially clocked in at 2 minutes 28 seconds.
▪ San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana was the game’s coin flipper. It landed on tails for the 26th time in 50 Super Bowls.
This story was originally published February 7, 2016 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Former Miami Dolphins WR Ted Ginn Jr. typically shines, confounds in Super Bowl."