After a grueling 16-game schedule, only 12 NFL teams make the postseason. By the end of the day on Sunday, only two teams will remain standing. This weekend is the essential "Final Four" for the National Football League and this year's Super Bowl matchup will be set around 10 PM eastern time on Sunday.
The first game is also shaping up to be a thriller, as quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will square off for the AFC Championship at Mile High. The second game, which is the late game, is the Carolina Panthers hosting the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. And after looking over the numbers, this one should be nothing short of a thriller as well.
The Panthers are seeking their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Their last appearance came in 2004 at Super Bowl XXXVIII which they lost to the New England Patriots, 32-29. The Cardinals have not been to a Super Bowl since they fell short to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, which was their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Stout Defense By Both Teams
Both Carolina and Arizona have excellent defenses heading into this matchup. Arizona was ranked fifth in total defense in the regular season, with Carolina right behind them at number six.
One number that really sticks out for the Carolina defense is 234.5. That is the average passing yards allowed per game by the Panthers defense. On Sunday, they face arguably the best down the field passing team in the league right now, making it intriguing to see how Carson Palmer and company fare on offense through the air. Arizona ended up eighth in the league in passing yards allowed, with 230.4 yards allowed per game.
As for both teams run defenses, they are both ranked in the top six, with Carolina allowing 88.4 rushing yards per game and Arizona allowing 91.3 per game. Both of these defenses match up very well, so now let's take a look at their offenses.
Yin And Yang At Quarterback
Carson Palmer and Cam Newton have extremely contrasting styles in terms of the types of quarterbacks they are.
Cam Newton is an essential dual-threat for the Panthers, having such a big frame and being able to shed defenders. Carson Palmer is more of a pocket passer for the Cardinals so these quarterback's are very different in terms of their style of play.
As for the offenses they run, Arizona was ranked first in the league in total offense and Carolina was eleventh. However, these numbers can be deceiving because the Panthers were only about forty yards of total offense behind Arizona, and they actually score almost a point per game more. To say this is an evenly-matched game would be an understatement. Both of these teams have very complete teams and that's why this should be a close and exciting game.
Keys To The Game For Carolina
The Carolina Panthers can win this game by getting Ted Ginn Jr. more involved in their offense than he was last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Ginn Jr. was essentially non-existent for the Panthers, getting just one target and having zero catches. If the Panthers want to win this game, they're going to have to get Ginn Jr. more involved because he was an integral piece in that offense down the stretch for the Panthers.
There is no doubt the Panthers have a great defense but even great defenses can be exposed. There is one thing that they must prevent from happening in this game if they want to be on the winning end. The Panthers cannot allow the big splash plays that the Arizona Cardinals have been able to produce with their high-powered offense. If they do, the Panthers defense will be in for a long game and will not find themselves in a good position to win.
With that being said, what must the Cardinals do on offense and defense to put themselves in a good position to win?
Keys to the Game for Arizona
One of the biggest parts to Arizona's success was the ability to run the football and open up the passing game that they have had much success with. In order to do so, they must be able to get rookie running back David Johnson going early and often. Johnson really came on strong around the middle and later parts of the regular season for the Cardinals, and he must continue to be a key piece to their offense. Last week, he accumulated just under 80 yards of offense between rushing and receiving. Johnson is going to have to have more than just 35 yards on the ground to open up the passing game for Palmer.
As for Arizona's defense, they are another unit that is great but they are all susceptible to being exposed. In order for them to keep this one close, they must limit Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. One may be asking "why not say shut him down?" But the answer to that is simple. No one has been able to shut down Cam Newton this season. He's the biggest reason the Panthers are where they are and have only faltered once all season. So while no team is going to be able to shut down Newton, the Cardinals should focus instead on limiting him and allowing their offense to get the ball as much as possible in this contest.
Game Prediction
This one is really, really tough to speculate on. Although most games in the NFL seem to be that way because football is a crazy sport. It is a game of inches, a game of winning battles in the trenches, and there are so many factors that can swing games. But this writer knows that people love seeing predictions so here it goes. This is going to sound very cliche but when it is all said and done, the Carolina Panthers will triumph over the Arizona Cardinals because they seem like a team of destiny.
Final Score: Panthers 27, Cardinals 23