NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview: Cardinals vs. Panthers

The unlikely Arizona Cardinals make the dreaded East Coast trip to visit the storming Carolina Panthers

Cardinals vs. Panthers Overview:
For 62 years, fans with Arizona Cardinals playoff tickets had not seen their team win a home playoff game. The Arizona Cardinals had not won a playoff game at all since 1998. Both of these streaks ended with a thrilling 30-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Carolina Panthers took charge of the hot NFC South Division and earned a first-round bye. Fans with Carolina Panthers playoff tickets are hoping that the winless streak in East Coast games continues for the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday at Charlotte, North Carolina, as it did in the first meeting between the two teams.

Arizona Cardinals Offense:
The No. 4 offense in the NFL and the No. 2 passing attack as well, the Arizona Cardinals offense hums like no other. After 11 years and two NFL MVP awards, QB Kurt Warner has seen and done it all in the NFL and little can shake him. At the command of Kurt Warner is an almost mythic trio of receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston, each with more than 1,000 yards receiving. RB Edgerrin James was written off for dead by critics, but he punched the Arizona Cardinals’ playoff tickets to the second round thanks to his play against the Atlanta Falcons.

Arizona Cardinals Defense:
No one will confuse the Arizona Cardinals defense with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, but the peerless offense means that a lot of pressure is taken off of the solid unit’s shoulders. LB Karlos Dansby is the biggest name in the front seven, but the group has rallied together to stop the run as of late. Veteran DEs Bertrand Berry and Antonio Smith have really shined. Because of the offensive production, the Arizona Cardinals secondary is always under attack. CBs Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Roderick Hood are great, but SS Adrian Wilson stands tall.

Carolina Panthers Offense:
Rookies RB Jonathan Stewart and OT Jeff Otah have allowed the Carolina Panthers to return to the trademarked Smash Mouth football that got them to the Super Bowl a few years ago. Behind the great offensive line, RB DeAngelo Williams was able to produce 1,600 total yards and 20 touchdowns. RB Jonathan Stewart pairs with DeAngelo Williams like a fine wine and a good meal, and when they are hot, no team can stop the Carolina Panthers. WR Steve Smith provides QB Jake Delhomme with the best deep-threat weapon in recent NFL history.

Carolina Panthers Defense:
Fans with Carolina Panthers playoff tickets know that their defense will be under a firestorm of offense, but they believe their talented defenders can rule the day. DE Julius Peppers has defined an entire era of pass rushers and is just now entering his prime. DE Tyler Brayton is playing the best football of his career and is a solid bookend with Julius Peppers. Pro Bowl MLB Jon Beason captains the defense and leads it in tackles with OLB Thomas Davis acting as another weapon. CB Chris Gamble takes advantage of the dominant front seven and is a top-end DB.

Arizona Cardinals Keys to Victory:
With a 0-5 record in East Coast games this season, the long plane ride seems to haunt the Arizona Cardinals more than any defense. However, on the field, the Arizona Cardinals must get to a quick start and put up a good lead. The more yards and points amassed, the more the Carolina Panthers will be forced to abandon the run. Fans with Arizona Cardinals playoff tickets were shocked at the great running against the Atlanta Falcons, but they do not want to get into a running-back war with the Carolina Panthers. A steady run will let Kurt Warner shred the secondary with his three WRs.

Fans with Arizona Cardinals playoff tickets saw their defense take on the No. 2 rusher in the NFL and watched as they totally shut him down. A repeat performance of this is necessary against DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. SS Adrian Wilson will probably live in the box, and the Carolina Panthers runners will learn quickly to stay away from No. 24. The Arizona Cardinals played the Carolina Panthers early in the regular season and were victimized not by the run but by WR Steve Smith. The Arizona Cardinals must double Steve Smith whenever possible and must jam him every time.

Carolina Panthers Keys to Victory:
The Carolina Panthers live off of a steady diet of the running game and the play-action pass. Since the Atlanta Falcons’ Michael Turner had zero success running up the gut, then a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams to the outside should be the attack of choice. The offense has stamped the Carolina Panthers playoff tickets by suckering defenses with the run and knocking them out with the play-action bomb to Steve Smith. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets can expect more of the same if Jake Delhomme can get any time to throw. 

Arizona Cardinals LT Mike Gandy shut down the great John Abraham in the Wild Card game, but the physical specimen that is Julius Peppers is a totally different animal. The main focus will actually be the match up of rotating DEs Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson against RT Levi Brown, the lesser of the two tackles. A constant pass rush is the only way to stop the Arizona Cardinals offense from easy air supremacy. MLB Jon Beason has to lead the charge against the run early to allow Julius Peppers and company to pin their ears back and rush the passer.

Cardinals vs. Panthers Overview:
Unlike other preseason darlings like the Dallas Cowboys or Jacksonville Jaguars, the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers have exceeded all the hype. Fans with Arizona Cardinals playoff tickets have not seen their team win in the postseason in a decade, and this run has helped the franchise become known for more than a Denny Green sound byte. The Carolina Panthers and their head coach John Fox have also averted disaster with a rebound season.

Defense, the running game, and apparently an arduous cross-country plane flight all favor the Carolina Panthers. Few offenses have made jaws drop like the Arizona Cardinals, but they are still one dimensional. The ability to pound the football, rush the passer, and control the clock gives the Carolina Panthers the chance to run the game as a whole. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets will be treated to a true duel in Charlotte, North Carolina, and all can agree that it is a shame that one team must lose. Fans with Carolina Panthers playoff tickets will be smiling in the end.