Championship weekend concludes with the Carolina Panthers (15-1) hosting the Arizona Cardinals (14-3) in the NFC Championship.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for some preview information.
First here’s my prediction from The FAQ.
Arizona at Carolina (-3)
This game represents the first-ever match-up of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks in a conference title game. That’s pretty much all that’s interesting about this quarterback battle. The Panthers have the edge on defense and Carson Palmer is dying to throw this game away. If the Panthers can avoid the butterfingers, this one may not be close. There’s only so much Larry Fitzgerald can do.
Add to that a storm people have already called Snowzilla hitting the east coast, the Cardinals are going to have to find a way to throw and catch the ball in slick, cold and snowy weather. Something they just aren’t built for. The Panthers, on the other hand, basically drive a tank onto the field on offense and point it at you. Look at it this way. If neither of these teams can throw the ball, which one would you go with? Yeah, me too.
When NFL execs dream at night, they have to get up and change the sheets at the thought of a Denver vs Carolina Super Bowl 50. They’re going to need a new mattress after Sunday. Panthers 24, Cardinals 16
And here’s our GMS Preview.
The Arizona Cardinals travel to take on a Carolina Panthers team that has a strong run defense and below-average passing defense so anticipate an aerial game plan in the NFC Championship. The NFL’s fourth-leading rusher, Jonathan Stewart (1,095 yards, 8 TDs), and second-leading passer, Carson Palmer (5,020 yards, 38 TDs), will play an integral role in the outcome of this game. Kickoff is at 6:40 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan 24 and will air on FOX.
Carolina prevailed against the Seahawks 31-24 in the NFC Divisional Round last week. Jonathan Stewart had a huge game running the ball in the victory, dashing 19 times for 106 yards and two TDs. Greg Olsen had a great game as well, adding 77 yards and a TD on six catches. Arizona defeated the Packers 26-20. Larry Fitzgerald had a great game for the Cardinals, grabbing eight receptions for 176 yards and one TD. Carson Palmer also had a great game with 349 yards and three TDs through the air.
Carolina is a three-point favorite against the Cardinals. The Over/Under (O/U) line is currently at 48 points for this matchup.
Sitting at 15-1 Straight Up (SU) and 11-5 Against The Spread (ATS), the Panthers will look to improve heading into Week 20. In their five most recent matchups, the Panthers went 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. When the Panthers pass the ball they average 13.7 yards, first in the NFL. Recently, Carolina’s run stoppers have wreaked havoc on their opponents. During their last five games, the Panthers gave up 89.4 rushing yards per game. An important aspect of the game will be if the Cardinals can fend off Carolina’s ability to force turnovers. The Panthers currently rank first in the league with 2.4 turnovers per game. In the second quarter, Carolina’s offense is efficient, putting up a league-leading 10.4 points.
Across the field, the Cardinals head into Week 20 with records of 9-7 ATS and 13-3 SU. Over their last five games, the Cardinals have a SU record of 4-1 and a 2-3 record ATS. Odds suggest Arizona will continue to rely on its passing attack, where its 292.8 passing yards per road game ranks first in the league. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Panthers to keep up with Arizona’s defense in a few areas. The Cardinals’ defensive backs could be in for a good game when it faces off against the Panthers, who rank 27th in terms of completion percentage with an average of 59.8%. The Panthers will have to stay focused in the third quarter against Arizona. The Cardinals start off the second half with confidence, averaging a league-leading 8.9 points during the third quarter. Arizona isn’t a team that finds itself on the bad end of many calls. In fact, they average the fewest penalty yards in the league with 46 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
The game is on Fox. Let’s watch it.
