The NFC Championship game is a rematch of last season’s Wild Card round, won by the Panthers over the short-handed Cards. Expect a different showing from Arizona, who will have their first, second and third quarterbacks this time around.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Carolina Panthers -3
Arizona Cardinals +3
Over/Under 47
WHY THE ARIZONA CARDINALS WILL WIN
One area the Cardinals have a decided edge is in their group of receivers. Expect coach Bruce Arians to deploy his deep fleet of wideouts – Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd – against a Carolina secondary that’s thin at corner behind All-Pro Josh Norman.
Quarterback Carson Palmer, coming off his first career playoff win, had an MVP-caliber season while leading the NFL’s top-ranked offense. The Cards averaged better than 408 yards per game during the regular season and scored an average of 30.6 points. Palmer threw for 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns during the regular season, completing 63.7 percent of his passes.
There were some anxious moments against Green Bay last weekend. Palmer had some errant passes and at times looked uncomfortable. But let’s chalk that up to postseason nerves. After all, Palmer had lost both his previous postseason starts and hadn’t been in a playoff game since 2009.
Things won’t come easy against Carolina’s aggressive defense, but the Cards’ offensive line can play big. The group is capable of stepping up to keep Palmer clean in the pocket. Arizona allowed 27 sacks during the regular season, the fewest in the Arians’ era, and will need to be engaged.
Arizona will likely keep three or more receivers on the field as much as possible, forcing Carolina Pro Bowl linebackers Luke Kuechly and Anthony Davis to cover a lot of ground in the Panthers’ nickel packages. The Cards may be facing the Panthers front line without defensive end Jared Allen, who reportedly suffered a foot injury that could force him out of the playoffs.
There are some striking similarities between the teams. Both possess explosive offenses along with defenses that often get overlooked by the point-producing exploits of their mates on the other side of the football.
Carolina’s top receiving threat is tight end Greg Olsen. And it just so happens that the Cardinals have cracked down on the damage players in that position have done against them over the years. Three seasons ago, Arizona allowed 963 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns to tight ends. That number has steadily decreased to a low of 562 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Arizona is better equipped to stop Olsen, who has been an outlet for Cam Newton all season. The Cards have had success using safety Tony Jefferson and safety-turned-linebacker Deone Bucannon against bigger, athletic receiving tight ends.
And as was the case Saturday night, the Cardinals have shown they can come back. That trait can come in handy against a Panthers team that struggled to close out Seattle in the second half of their divisional round gamed. If the Cards find themselves in need of a comeback, they’re likely comfortable knowing they can get the job done.
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