NFC Championship Game: Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers

NFC Championship Game: Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers

NFC Championship Game: Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina PanthersWhen: 6:40 PM ET, Sunday, January 24, 2016

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

These 2 teams met in last season’s Conference Championship game when Ryan Lindley quarterbacked the Cardinals in a game the Panthers won 27-16. This particular matchup is different in many ways.

NFL Betting Line

Arizona Cardinals +3.5 ML +145 O48
Carolina Panthers -3.5 ML -165 U48

 

Stats and Records

W/L Strk PF PA Home Away Grass Turf OT Div Conf
Arizona 14-3 W1 30.3 19.6 7-2 7-1 11-3 3-0 1-0 4-2 11-2
Carolina 16-1 W2 31.2 19.5 9-0 7-1 12-0 4-1 1-0 5-1 12-1

 

Arizona
Cardinals
Carolina
Panthers
Arizona Cardinals Avg. Yds. (Rank)  Category  Avg. Yds. (Rank) NFL Divisional Playoffs – Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
288.5 (2nd) Pass Off. 224.3 (24th)
119.8 (8th) Rush Off. 142.6 (2nd)
13-3 230.4 (8th) Pass Def. 234.5 (11th)  15-1
1st NFC WEST
(4-2)
91.2 (5th) Rush Def. 88.4 (4th) 1st NFC SOUTH
(5-1)

 

First of all, the Arizona Cardinals will have their starting quarterback Carson Palmer for this Conference Championship game unlike last year’s when Ryan Lindley started in place of Palmer and lost. In the regular season, Palmer recorded the following:

GP PYDS PCT TDs INT RATING
16 4671 63.7 35 11 104.6

 

What does Carson Palmer have that no other quarterback has; three wide receivers that should be considered number one. Here they are:

Player Pos GP GS REC TGT TGT% YDS AVG TD LNG 20+ YDS/G FUM FML FD FD%
Larry Fitzgerald WR 16 16 109 145 25.8 1215 11.1 9 44 17 75.9 2 2 65 59.6
John Brown WR 15 11 65 101 18.0 1003 15.4 7 68 11 66.9 1 1 49 75.4
Michael Floyd WR 15 6 52 89 15.8 849 163 6 60 13 56.6 0 0 40 76.9

 

Defensively, they are allowing 91.2 (5th) yards on the ground, 230.4 (8th) yards in the air.

Expect some sort of a 4-3 scheme including a spy on Newton.

Speaking of Carolina’s Cam Newton, he is the offense period. Newton’s best receiver is tight end Greg other than him, Carolina’s wide outs are nothing to write home about.

Last week Carolina’s defense performed half- heartedly versus the Seattle Seahawks particularly in pass defense. If they can’t get to Palmer approximately 80% of the time; game over!

Selection: Arizona +3