Charlotte, N.C. — The road to the Superbowl in the NFC comes through Charlotte for the first time in history and it feels great. Still, it feels as if folks outside of the Carolinas are looking for reasons why the Panthers can’t win the NFC Championship, let alone the Superbowl.
The Panthers will have the opportunity to silence more critics on Sunday night, but to reach the second Superbowl in team history, Carolina will have to get past a strong Arizona Cardinals squad led by quarterback Carson Palmer and a defense that ranks as one of the league’s best.
Carson Palmer throws a good deep ball. Among regular starters at quarterback, Palmer led the league with 8.7 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are arguably the best team in the league at completing intermediate and long passes, which basically means passes of ten yards or more. Palmer completed 15 passes of 40 yards or more, which was third in the league. The guys he throws it to are good as well. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is a Hall of Fame caliber player with tremendous hands, Michael Floyd is a physical presence, and John Brown is a speed demon. Head Coach Bruce Arians finds creative ways to get the ball to his play makers and the Cardinals frequently take deep shots down the field. Rookie David Johnson took over the starting running back job after injuries sidelined Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson. Ellington has returned as a compliment, but David Johnson has proven to be a tough runner with good speed and pass catching ability out of the backfield.
The Panthers’ secondary has their work cut out for them. The best way to ease their burden is to get a good pass rush on Carson Palmer and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. He is not the most mobile quarterback and showed signs of nervousness in the Divisional round game versus Green Bay. Jared Allen is doubtful for the game so defensive ends Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, and Mario Addison will have to pick up the slack. Kawann Short has been exceptional at disrupting plays from the interior line and I expect that to continue. Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott may opt to use more blitz packages, but that could lead to unfavorable match-ups for Carolina’s secondary and linebackers against the Cardinals’ wide receivers. The Cardinals are built to strike quickly from anywhere on the field. Limiting big plays will be the key to slowing the Arizona offense.
Arizona’s defense is very fast and athletic. They are generally good at covering and playing in space, save for the Hail Mary they gave up to the Packers on Saturday. Patrick Peterson, like Josh Norman, is an All-Pro corner back with great instincts and good hands and Cam Newton will surely be aware of where he is on the field at all times. Arizona is not the quite the same with out Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu roaming the field, but they have overcome his loss and continued to be dangerous against the pass.
The Cardinals have been weak against the run of late and that could be the primary advantage for the Panthers. Jonathan Stewart rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle, and they are considered a superior run defense to the Cardinals. The power running game could be very useful in keeping Arizona’s explosive offense off the field. Frostee Rucker and Calais Campbell are a load along the defensive front for Arizona, but Ryan Kalil and the Panthers offensive line has developed in to one of the best units in the league and are fully capable of handling their responsibilities. The Cardinals’ leading tackler, Deone Bucannon, is a strong safety who has been converted to linebacker and played well in the process. Bucannon is undersized for a linebacker and Carolina will surely look to overpower him and the other Cardinals’ linebackers. The Panthers have eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark in 28 consecutive games, the longest such active streak in the league, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t continue the streak on Sunday.
We all know who the Panthers are as a team by this point. We know Cam, Olsen, and Stewart. We know Kuechly, Davis, and Norman. We know the plays that they make. Their biggest weakness may be the complacency that sets in when they have a big lead. Regardless of what the coaches say publicly, the offensive play calling seemed more conservative in the second half of Sunday’s game against Seattle. Cam Newton even acknowledged that players and coaches alike were “tight” in the final two quarters of Sunday’s game. The pattern is concerning but the fact remains that before they lose big leads, they have the big leads.
The Seattle game is in the past and the offensive game plan should remain consistent. Establish Stewart and the running game to set up opportunities in the play action passing attack, and don’t turn the ball over. The flow of the game will determine the play calling, but Mike Shula will have to keep his foot on the gas against Arizona. I feel more confident than ever that the Panthers can win a shootout and I get the feeling that Sunday’s game will be just that. The Panthers and the Cardinals were the two highest scoring teams in the league, so the fireworks should be on display in Charlotte on Sunday. The Panthers will win 34-30 and advance to the 2016 Superbowl.
People are still looking for reasons that the Panthers can’t win Sunday or in the Superbowl should they get there, but I can think of at least one very good reason why Carolina can win.
The Panthers, themselves, believe they can win.
Carolina is 16-1 this season and have been the best team in football. They have transformed from pretenders to contenders before our very eyes. They expect to win.
Facts will be separated from opinions on Sunday.
