This has been Kudzi Musarurwa covering a wild NFL season opener. Thank you for joining us tonight at VAVEL USA LIVE and enjoy the rest of your evening!
Full time: Carolina 20-21 Denver.
What an ending! The Broncos rally in the second half as the young quarter back and the defense step up to give Denver the win and a 1-0 start!
4th Quarter (0:04): Gano misses wide left! The stadium erupts in cheers. The Broncos take a knee and that's the game!
4th Quarter (0:09): Denver calls their second time out.
4th Quarter (0:09): Carolina gain a few more yards with a catch by Ginn and the field goal unit comes out. It will either be a 50 yard attempt or a 56 yard attempt by Gano. After review, it's a 50 yard attempt by Gano.
4th Quarter (0:14): Newton gets the first down by finding Benjamin in the middle of the field and spikes the ball.
4th Quarter (0:29): Newton tries to find Olsen deep but his pass is too far for the tight end. Third down and ten Carolina.
4th Quarter (0:36): Newton is tackled hard by Stewart who picks up a flag for a helmet to helmet penalty. A silly play by the Broncos defensive player but his penalty is offset by an intentional grounding by Carolina. Huge break for Denver there.
4th Quarter (0:42): Harris dives back and almost picks the pass. Second down Carolina.
4th Quarter (1:12): Newton finds Olsen in the middle of the field for a first down.
4th Quarter (1:19): Newton gets hit as he throws the ball and it's third down and five now. Carolina take their last time out as the play clock runs down. Another poor piece of game management by Carolina.
4th Quarter (1:44): Tolbert gains five yards. Second down Carolina.
4th Quarter (1:54): Benjamin drops the pass but a penalty is called on Denver and gives Carolina the first down. Big call there.
4th Quarter (2:09): SACK! Von Miller finally gets to Newton and we hit the two minute warning with Carolina on fourth down.
4th Quarter (2:15): Newton takes off for five yards, Third down Carolina.
4th Quarter (2:57): Denver bring the pressure and they get Newton in the back field. It's now second down and 20 for Carolina.
4th Quarter (3:06): The punt is short and gives Carolina the ball around the 40 yard line. First down for Carolina. False start is called on Carolina and they are pushed back another five yards.
4th Quarter (3:17): SACK! Trey Boston comes down the field from deep and gets to Siemian to force a fourth down and 17 and a punt. Carolina call a second time out.
4th Quarter (4:08): Anderson doesn't get much and it's third and seven for Denver.
4th Quarter (4:17): Siemian tries to find Thomas but his pass is wide. Second down Denver.
Carolina 20-21 Denver.
4th Quarter (4:25): Talib breaks up the pass and gets Denver a huge third down stop. Gano makes the 36 yard field goal attempt.
4th Quarter (5:05): Stewart doesn't gain much ground and it's third down and five for Carolina.
4th Quarter (5:43): Newton runs for four yards. Second down Carolina.
4th Quarter (6:25): Newton finds Olsen again for another first down for Carolina.
4th Quarter (6:58): Olsen makes a great catch and gets the first down. A penalty is called but Carolina declines it so the first down stands.
4th Quarter (7:32): Stewart gains about three yards. Second down Carolina.
4th Quarter (8:02): Carolina gets the first down and a flag is thrown but no penalty is conceded by Carolina.
4th Quarter (8:40): Stewart gets a few yards. Third down and two for Carolina.
4th Quarter (9:20): Newton gains five yards. Second down Carolina.
Carolina 17-21 Denver after Brandon McManus gets the extra point for Denver.
4th Quarter (9:26): TOUCHDOWN! Anderson gets a great surge by his offensive line and finds enough of a gap to get the touchdown.
4th Quarter (9:30): Denver take a time out.
4th Quarter (10:04): Anderson can't get past the line of scrimmage and it's third down for Denver.
4th Quarter (10:16): Kony Ealy almost intercepts the pass but he drops the ball.
4th Quarter (10:30): C.J. Anderson gets the ball again and finds the necessary inches for the first down after a tough run.
4th Quarter (10:46): Carolina call a time out before Denver can get the play off. Carolina will challenge the spot. They should win this as Sanders looked short on replay. After review, the ruling is changed and it's fourth and inches for Denver.
4th Quarter (11:37): Sanders catches low and the ball is marked at the one yard line for another first down.
4th Quarter (11:29): Siemian aims for Thomas and is almost picked off. Second down Denver.
4th Quarter (12:00): Anderson picks up 3 yards as Denver inch closer to the end zone.
4th Quarter (12:34): Siemian keeps the ball and runs to pick up the first down. Denver on the 11 yard line now.
4th Quarter (13:20): Anderson gets the ball again but is stopped at the line of scrimmage.
4th Quarter (13:57): Anderson picks up nine yards. Second down Denver.
4th Quarter (14:07): INTERCEPTION! Chris Harris tips the pass and catches it again before it hits the ground. Carolina then give away a 15 yard penalty for unnecessary roughness by Andrew Norwell. Big play by Harris!
4th Quarter (14:35): Stewart picks up six yards. Second down Carolina.
Carolina 17-14 Denver.
4th Quarter (14:50): TOUCHDOWN! Siemian sees the blitz and he dumps it to Anderson who runs away for the touchdown.
3rd Quarter (0:16): Siemian keeps the drive moving by finding Sanders for another first down. A holding penalty is called on Carolina but it's declined by Denver.
3rd Quarter (1:28): Anderson breaks through and picks up another Denver first down.
3rd Quarter (2:05): Siemian finds Green again who hangs on for a 13 yard catch. First down Denver.
3rd Quarter (2:36): A short pass to Green only gets a few yards for Denver. Second down and 12.
3rd Quarter (3:11): Siemian gets out of the pocket and runs for the first down.
3rd Quarter (3:50): Siemian passes to Anderson who gains 6 yards on the pass. Second down Denver.
3rd Quarter (4:40): Benjamin gets the ball and gains 13 yards but it's not enough for the first down. Carolina will punt the ball.
3rd Quarter (4:56): Brown gets the ball but a false start is called on Funchess and the third down will be replayed. It's now third down and 30.
3rd Quarter (5:17): Newton escapes a tackle again and finds Stewart for a first down. The play is called back after a face-mask penalty by Ryan Kalil.
3rd Quarter (5:28): Newton tries to find Corey Brown but his pass is too low. Third down Carolina.
3rd Quarter (5:39): Newton returns but has to throw the ball away after he is chased down by Broncos defenders. Second down Carolina.
3rd Quarter (6:20): The Broncos can't get the first down after a third and fourteen and a few booes ring out in the stadium. Another punt is launched down the field by Denver.
3rd Quarter (7:22): Anderson gets stopped at the line of scrimmage while Peyton Manning gets to chat with the analysts in the booth. The conversation is not very entertaining though.
3rd Quarter (7:30): A penalty on Denver pushes them further back after the punt return. The Broncos will start on their 14.
3rd Quarter (8:20): SACK! Demarcus Ware gets to Newton for the first time tonight. Carolina will punt the ball while Newton gets checked out by the medical staff after that tackle by Ware.
3rd Quarter (8:27): Newton tries a long shot down the field but can't find his receiver. Third down and three for Carolina.
3rd Quarter (8:32): Stewart picks up a few yards. Second down for Carolina
3rd Quarter (9:10): INTERCEPTION! Siemian gets hit as he throws and Bené Benwikere picks off the pass intended for Thomas.
3rd Quarter (9:59): Anderson gets the hand off and picks up the first down.
3rd Quarter (10:05): Siemian misses Thomas but a pass interference is called on Carolina and Denver get the first down.
3rd Quarter (11:15): Siemian passes to Thomas for a gain of 23 yards.
3rd Quarter (12:07): Newton fakes and keeps the ball but Shane Ray makes a great tackle to stop Newton from getting the first down. Carolina are forced to punt on fourth down.
3rd Quarter (12:51): Stewart gets nine yards after carrying a tackler for a few extra yards. Third down Carolina.
3rd Quarter (13:39): Newton runs again and picks up four yards. Second down Carolina.
3rd Quarter (14:17): Stewart gets stopped just short of the first down marker but he is given forward progress.
3rd Quarter (15:00): Stewart starts the second half and gains three yards on the run.
Half time: Carolina 17-7 Denver. All Carolina and Cam Newton so far. Kelvin Benjamin and the Panthers defense have also played their part.
2nd Quarter (0:03): Gano gets the field goal through easily to end the half. Aqib Talib draws an offside penalty which is declined by Carolina so the field goal counts.
2nd Quarter (0:07): Olsen makes a great catch and rolls out of bounds to stop the clock. Gano will try a 44 yard field goal attempt.
2nd Quarter (0:12): Newton runs again for some big yards and another first down. The quarter back spikes the ball to stop the clock.
2nd Quarter (0:48): Benjamin gets the catch and muscles his way out of the tackle to get a another first down for Carolina.
2nd Quarter (1:16): Whittaker gets the extra yard needed for a first down.
2nd Quarter (1:38): Newton runs and gets close to a first down. Second down Carolina.
2nd Quarter (1:45): Ginn gets stopped for no return yards and a 10 yard penalty is called on Carolina for holding.
2nd Quarter (1:52): Jordan Norwood gets his first look of the night but the receiver can't bring in the pass from Siemian. Fourth down and Denver will punt.
2nd Quarter (2:16): Anderson gets the hand off again but only picks up one yard. Third down Denver.
2nd Quarter (2:57): Anderson starts the drive off for Denver with a 2-yard run.
Brandon Marshall is back in the game after being cleared by the medical team.
Cam Newton now holds the record for rushing touchdowns by a quarter back with 44 and the record for most games with a passing and rushing touchdown by a quarter back in the NFL.
The field goal is good. Carolina 14-7 Denver.
2nd Quarter (3:01): TOUCHDOWN! Newton keeps the ball again, runs to the edge and gets to the pylon.
2nd Quarter (3:29): Penalty for 12 men on the field on the Denver defense to bring Carolina to the 2 yard line.
2nd Quarter (3:55): First and goal for Carolina after Newton finds a wide open Olsen.
2nd Quarter (4:35): Newton fakes before passing to Olsen but the tight end gets tackled at the line of scrimmage for no gain.
2nd Quarter (5:11): Newton takes the ball again and runs for 3 yards. Second and seven for Carolina.
2nd Quarter (5:46): TJ Ward blitzes but Newton escapes the tackle and finds Greg Olsen for a first down. Great play by Newton.
2nd Quarter (5:55): On Second and ten, Newton fires at Benjamin but misses him again.
2nd Quarter (6:45): Newton finds Devon Punchess right on the line for a first down.
2nd Quarter (6:50): Newton gets decked as he passes to Benjamin and can't find the big receiver. Time out Denver.
2nd Quarter (7:27): Whittaker gets another carry and picks up four yards.
2nd Quarter (8:03): Whittaker gets the hand off and runs for a first down.
2nd Quarter (8:37): Newton passes for four yards to Fozzy Whittaker and we have an injury time out. Bronco Brandon Marshall looks a little shaken up.
2nd Quarter (9:19): Stewart gets the ball again and finds enough space for the first down.
2nd Quarter (9:59): Stewart gets the ball and runs for five yards. Third down Carolina.
2nd Quarter (10:37): Newton keeps the ball again and gets six yards. Second down for Carolina.
2nd Quarter (10:42): Denver take a time out.
2nd Quarter (11:12): Newton finds Benjamin for the first down but Benjamin gets up limping a little after the tackle.
2nd Quarter (11:20): Todd Davis chases Newton down and Newton is forced to throw it away. Third down and 6 for Carolina. Carolina takes a third time out. Poor clock management there by Carolina.
2nd Quarter (12:00): Newton fakes the hand over and keeps the ball. Only gets about four yards. Second down Carolina.
2nd Quarter (12:09): Ted Ginn Jr touches the ball and gets stopped deep in his own half after the kick-off. Carolina start at their 11 yard line.
Carolina 7-7 Denver.
2nd Quarter (12:16): TOUCHDOWN! Janovich gets the ball, breaks through and finds the end zone after a 28 yard run.
2nd Quarter (12:54): Anderson only picks up one yard. Third down Denver.
2nd Quarter (13:37): Siemian tucks and runs. Second down and 2 Denver.
2nd Quarter (14:07): Anderson breaks free and gains 28 yards. A great block by the Broncos full back Andy Janovich, gave Anderson the seam.
2nd Quarter (14:42): Siemian finds Sanders and Denver gets the first down.
2nd Quarter (15:00): Carolina punts and it goes into the end zone. Denver start from their own 20 yard line.
1st Quarter (0:15): Broncos safety Darian Stewart stops Stewart with a big tackle to force a punt for Carolina. Stewart seemed a little winded by that tackle.
1st Quarter (0:35): Stewart gets a few tough yards. Third down Carolina.
1st Quarter (0:55): Newton avoids two tackles and sends the ball into touch before getting drilled by Derrick Wolfe.
1st Quarter (1:03):? PICK! Thomas Davis rushes the quarter back, reaches up right in front of Siemian and grabs his pass out of the air. Carolina's defense gets another turnover.
1st Quarter (1:43): Vernon Butler gets to Siemian for his first NFL sack. Third and 19 for Denver.
1st Quarter (2:16): Kuechly stops the run again at the line of scrimmage. Second down Denver.
1st Quarter (2:54): Thomas leaps up and catches the pass for a Denver first down at the Carolina 16.
1st Quarter (3:35): Booker gets about a yard away from the first down marker. Third down up for Denver.
1st Quarter (4:13): Booker carries the ball again and gets 6 yards. Second down for Denver.
1st Quarter (4:49): Siemian passes to Anderson who skips past his defender and gets a big play.
1st Quarter (4:54): Kuechly stuffs up Anderson at the line of scrimmage for a loss of a yard.
1st Quarter (6:12): Siemian passes to Thomas and gets the first down as Denver begin to drive down the field.
1st Quarter (6:42): Anderson carries the ball for 3 yards. Second down Denver
1st Quarter (7:07): Siemian finds Sanders for a gain of 17 yards.
The field goal is good by Graham Gano. Carolina 7-0 Denver.
1st Quarter (7:13): TOUCHDOWN! Newton finds Benjamin in the end zone with Bronco players around him but he keeps the ball. Carolina picks up a 15 yard penalty for taunting after the touchdown.
1st Quarter (7:20): Carolina's offensive line think they've caught Denver offside but Newton calls for their second time out so the flag is picked up.
1st Quarter (8:02): Stewart carries the ball again but only gains two yards. Second down Carolina.
1st Quarter (8:45): A draw play sees Ted Ginn Jr get another first down for Carolina and is stopped at the Denver 16
1st Quarter (9:28): Newton finds Kelvin Benjamin and gains 17 yards on the pass. First down Carolina on the Denver 36.
1st Quarter (9:35): Cam Newton tries to find Greg Olsen but his pass is wide. Third down and nine for Carolina who then call a time out, their first of the evening.
1st Quarter (10:48): Stewart gets the ball again and finds a seam to get the first down.
1st Quarter (11:37): Jonathon Stewart gets forward for 6 yards but doesn't get the first down. Second down Carolina.
1st Quarter (11:40): FUMBLE! Denvontae Booker takes his first snap at running back and fumbles the ball. Carolina get the ball. Luke Kuechly forced the turnover for Carolina.
1st Quarter (12:16): Anderson gets the ball again and gets five yards.
1st Quarter (12:51): C.J. Anderson finds a gap and gets the first down.
1st Quarter (13:34): Siemian passes to Emmanuel Sanders but he's short. Second down and five Denver.
1st Quarter (14:01): Siemian escapes the pocket and finds Virgil Green for the first down
1st Quarter (14:08): Siemian takes the snap again but his pass doesn't find anyone. Third down Denver.
1st Quarter (14:23): Carolina pressures Siemian and he has to throw it away. Second down Denver.
1st Quarter (15:00): Carolina will start the season off and kick towards Denver. Trevor Siemian takes his first snap and slings it to Demaryius Thomas for a first down.
20:30 PM EST: A celebration of all of the Broncos three Super Bowl wins is currently under way. Kick-off is close.
As we wait for NBC to bring us tonight's national broadcast at 20:30 PM EST, we will have some live musical guests as the teams prepare to step out against each other at Sports Authority Field in the Mile High City for the first time since Super Bowl 50.
The opening game of the season will be between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. Follow the game on Twitter as well at @VAVEL_USA and @VAVEL_NFL.
Good evening everyone! Once again, this is Kudzi Musarurwa, your host for tonight as we are one hour away from the start of the 2016 NFL season.
Denver Broncos 17, Carolina Panthers 14
Prediction: With all of the question surrounding the Denver Broncos quarterback position, no one can quite say how well Siemian will perform. He has all the tools at his disposal to have a breakout season after staying in the shadows of Manning and Brock Osweiler so a lot will be riding on him to perform straight away. If he does not, the Broncos will have to lean heavily on the defense to win them games, which they can do, but they will need help for their offense if Denver wants to win another Super Bowl championship. The Carolina Panthers have fewer questions surrounding them but their mentality is what will be tested going into this season. Teams that feature in the Super Bowl tend to have a Super Bowl hangover and if the Panthers do not start well, the pressure on Cam Newton will definitely increase as he tries to prove his status as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL right now. The hangover could also affect the Broncos so in all honesty, expect a defensive battle with few points put up.
The head referee for the opening game of the 2016 NFL Season will be Gene Steratore. Steratore is a well-known NFL official and all of his experience will be needed in a game that will be as toughly contested as this one.
The match is being played at Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colorado. Game time is set for 8:30 PM EST on NBC.
After a heavy 24-10 Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the Carolina Panthers will want to show that that was an anomaly for them and that they can match up to the Broncos defensive and win that battle. In particular, Cam Newton will want to have a better showing against Denver than he did in the Super Bowl.
The defense for the Panthers will have a slightly different look to them this season. Long-time veteran Jared Allen has now retired from the NFL and Pro-Bowl safety Josh Norman has now signed with the Washington Redskins. Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is still in the Panthers ranks and he will now be expected to be the leader of that side of the ball as the Panthers plan their route to another Super Bowl appearance.
For Carolina, apart from Newton, those around the quarterback of the offensive side of the ball will need to have another big season. Players like wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, running back Jonathan Stewart and tight end Greg Olsen will help Newton reach the heights that he achieved last season. As for protection, Newton can count of center Ryan Kalil to lead the offensive line again this season and allow the quarterback to make the plays he does, in the pocket or out of it.
The away team is the team that the Broncos beat in Super Bowl 50, the Carolina Panthers. Led by Cam Newton, the Panthers will be looking to avenge their loss to Denver with a good start to their NFL season. The Panthers also had a mixed preseason, winning two out of their four games, albeit their losses were close games. Their last game was an 18-6 home win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. head coach Ron Rivera knows that his team is capable of so much more and he will want them to show that against the Broncos.
As previously mentioned, the last competitive game that the Broncos played in was the Super Bowl. They did play in four preseason games which resulted in two losses and two wins, with the most recent being a 38-17 loss on the road to the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Gary Kubiak will be looking for a much better performance against a very tough opposition.
Denver has the right offensive weapons in wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, as well as running backs C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman so what they will need is for new starting quarterback Trevor Siemian to stay calm and controlled when he goes up against the opponents he will face.
Without future Hall Of Famer Peyton Manning, the Broncos will look to their elite defense led by premier linebacker Von Miller. The Madden 17 cover athlete is expected to have another outstanding season and he will be looking to prove that he truly is one of the best the NFL have seen in his position. On the other end of Denver's pass rush will be Demarcus Ware who will once again work in tandem with Miller to cause havoc on all the offensive lines they face this season.
The Denver Broncos start the season as the reigning Super Bowl champions and are looking to repeat their exploits from last season. With the way their roster has been put together, they will be a strong contender in the AFC and to go all the way again.
Hello there, and welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of the National Football League! This matchup features the Denver Broncos who open their season against the Carolina Panthers in what could be an epic rematch of Super Bowl 50. My name is Kudzi Musarurwa and I will be your host for the 2016 NFL season opening game!