The Carolina Panthers defense hasn’t been as strong as we’ve seen in past year, but they stepped up when it counted the most. They set a NFL postseason record, by holding the Arizona Cardinals to 78 total yards on offense. The Panthers put pressure on third string quarterback Ryan Lindley all game, sacking him four times and intercepting him twice.
The 27-16 victory for Carolina is their first in nine years and Cam Newton’s first victory ever in the playoffs. Kill Cam ended the game with 198 yards through the air and two touchdowns. The Panthers also had help from running back Jonathan Stewart, who rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Carolina was highly criticized for making in the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record after winning the struggling NFC South division. Despite their losing record, they still managed to beat a slumping Cardinals, who lost Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and Andre Ellington for the year a few weeks before the season ended.
The Panthers will now await the winner of the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions matchup to see if they have to travel to either Green Bay or Seattle for the next round.