It was not too long ago that the Cardinals were finishing last in the NFC West, and now they are staring deep into the eyes of the Carolina Panthers for the NFC Championship game.
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Arizona won 33-13 in Charlotte on the way to its only previous Super Bowl, as Fitzgerald finished with 166 yards while setting the playoff record he broke last week.
The Panthers’ Divisional round win wasn’t quite as dramatic, but they still had to sweat a bit toward the end. His athletic ability will be very important in defending the Panthers’ diverse run game, and also he can help out against tight end Greg Olsen.
The Cardinals led the league in total yards per game at 408.3 yards in the regular season. In order for the top-seeded Panthers to advance to the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance, the team will have to first best the No. 2 seed Arizona Cardinals.
Why they’ll win: It’ll probably come down to Cam Newton playing a big game. He threw for more yards in the regular season (4,671 to 3,837).
20 DEC 2015: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) during the fourth quarter of the game between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Cardinals completed just 40 yards on the ground against Packers and the squad will be needing to find some facade of a running game against the Carolina Panthers.
“One of the greatest throws and catches of the season”, ESPN quarterback analyst Ron Jaworski gushed Monday.
Every single running back and Cam Newton, averages 4.1 yards rushing this season. They’re arguably the best team in the National Football League right now and I don’t want to bet against them. Here’s how the Panthers will beat the Cardinals.
“This is the biggest game in the history of this stadium, but we’re not treating it any different”. Johnson is still a huge factor in the Cardinals’ passing game, but it’s worth watching if he can get a running game going against a tough Panthers front seven. In the Panthers’ 31-24 victory, Stewart rushed for 106 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. Newton’s legs will be a key regardless of how many carries he gets because the Cardinals love to blitz.
Here comes Arizona brimming with confidence after surviving an Aaron Rodgers “Hail Mary” touchdown pass. Palmer, 36, is coming off his first postseason victory.
The weather on the east coast has been insane, with whiteout conditions and freezing rain, in the early parts of the weekend, with fans and media members struggling to make it to Charlotte in time for the game.
In last week’s NFL Playoffs game, the Panthers jumped all over Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to essentially win the game before the first quarter was over.
But there’s one stat I can’t seem to get out of my mind, courtesy of ESPN’s Trey Wingo.
Sirius satellite radio listeners can hear the NFC title game on channel 88, 83 (Arizona call) or 82 (Carolina call).
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“Josh Norman is a premier cornerback”, Fitzgerald said.
