Kubiak says Panthers: Big, physical, fast team

One day after winning the AFC Championship, Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak says the team is going right to work.

"We’re not going to wait on anything," Kubiak said Monday. "The fact that we have two weeks -- our preparation, how we do things as coaches and stuff -- we’re going to stay committed to our routine that we’ve used throughout the course of the year.”

Kubiak knows the Broncos will be facing a tough challenge against the Carolina Panthers and their quarterback, Cam Newton. In fact, Kubiak has already started watching film of Carolina's last couple of games.

"First off, we know we’re playing a great football team," Kubiak said. "I mean this team is No. 1 in turnover ratio, I think, throughout the course of the year—top-five offense, top-five defense."

"I see is a big, physical, fast football team," Kubiak said. "They can line up and pound you on both sides of the ball at the line of scrimmage. [They are] a big challenge for us.”

Kubiak said the Panthers have been dominant in all phases and the Broncos will have to improve.

"I look at yesterday—offensively, we’re going to have to play better," Kubiak said. "We did some good things, but we’re going to have to play a lot better. Defensively, we played very, very well, but we’re going to be facing a very different type of opponent from a preparation standpoint. Then special teams, we continue to play well, but we’re facing some big tasks with [Panthers WR Ted] Ginn [Jr.] and some of their returners. The guys know. I mean, it’s championship time and you’re going to have to play like one. They know that."

As for facing Newton, Kubiak said, "he is a little different.

"I don’t know that we’ve faced the dual-threat guy like him this year with our schedule," Kubiak explained. "I saw him first-hand last year. We played him last year when I was in Baltimore. It’ll be different for us. Having to tackle him out in the open field, having to defend the quarterback runs and those types of things will be something different for us. It’s nice to have a couple of weeks [to prepare]."

The Broncos play the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, February 7.