Carolina Panthers expect 'great chess match' against Peyton Manning

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera expects a "great chess match" when his team faces Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning next Sunday in Super Bowl 50.

Rivera wants the Panthers to play "situational football" when facing Manning.

"He is going to anticipate and do things off of what he sees," Rivera told USA TODAY Sports. "You have to make sure you're disguising, you are holding your disguise. He wants to undress the defense as quick as possible and get a feel for where they are going and he will know where to attack.

"I think it really is a great chess match -- and not necessarily coordinator against coordinator, but quarterback against defense."

The Panthers' defense plans to keep a simple approach against Manning, who may be playing the last game of his Hall of Fame career, and not be concerned about all the "Omaha!" calls, the hand gestures and other tricks the quarterback uses.

In other words, the Panthers won't be trying to crack the "Manning Code."

"When you think you're onto something, then you find something that discredits it," linebacker Luke Kuechly told USA TODAY. "So maybe one time he's saying this word and it's like, 'All right, I've seen it two or three times and it's right' and then the fourth time, it's wrong. It's like, 'Well, that's done now.'

"For me, I try to really concentrate on what I'm doing. He's so smart, he's got all the checks, the movements and gestures. You can't worry about that too much because that's part of his game. That's who Peyton is ... It's fun to watch."

The Panthers also aren't buying into talk that Manning has lost a step or been hurt by old age. At 39, Manning will be the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl.

"He's still very much Peyton Manning. I don't care what anyone says: He's still the guy," Kuechly said.