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The NFC Divisional Playoff at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET between the NFC South Champion Carolina Panthers (12-4) and NFC West Champion Arizona Cardinals (10-7) is a rematch of an exciting regular season game. In that contest, the Panthers came back from a 17-3 third-quarter deficit to defeat the Cardinals, 27-23, on October 26 in Charlotte.
The rematch is a result of a 30-24 victory by Arizona over Atlanta in an NFC Wild Card game last week. The Cardinals used their potent passing game, a rejuvenated running game and swarming defense that held Falcons running back Michael Turner, the NFL's second-leading rusher, to just 42 yards on 18 attempts to win the franchise's first playoff game since 1998. The Panthers enjoyed a first-round bye after finishing the regular season with the second-best record in the NFC.
The first postseason game at Bank of America Stadium since 2003 will feature two contrasting offenses with Arizona moving the ball through the air and Carolina staying on the ground. Despite the differing styles, they yielded similar results during the regular season with the Cardinals averaging 26.7 points per game and the Panthers scoring 25.9 points per game.
Arizona ranked second in the NFL in passing with an average of 292.1 yards per game during the regular season. Two-time MVP Kurt Warner, who led the NFC with a 96.9 passer rating, directs the Cardinals aerial attack. His primary targets - wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald (1,431), Anquan Boldin (1,038) and Steve Breaston (1,006) - became only the fifth teammate receiver threesome in league history with 1,000 yards apiece.
Carolina, on the other hand, finished third in the league in rushing offense with an average of 152.3 yards per game during the regular season. The Panthers rely on the tandem of running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Williams set team single-season records with 1,515 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, while Stewart established team rookie marks with 836 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
The rematch is a result of a 30-24 victory by Arizona over Atlanta in an NFC Wild Card game last week. The Cardinals used their potent passing game, a rejuvenated running game and swarming defense that held Falcons running back Michael Turner, the NFL's second-leading rusher, to just 42 yards on 18 attempts to win the franchise's first playoff game since 1998. The Panthers enjoyed a first-round bye after finishing the regular season with the second-best record in the NFC.
The first postseason game at Bank of America Stadium since 2003 will feature two contrasting offenses with Arizona moving the ball through the air and Carolina staying on the ground. Despite the differing styles, they yielded similar results during the regular season with the Cardinals averaging 26.7 points per game and the Panthers scoring 25.9 points per game.
Arizona ranked second in the NFL in passing with an average of 292.1 yards per game during the regular season. Two-time MVP Kurt Warner, who led the NFC with a 96.9 passer rating, directs the Cardinals aerial attack. His primary targets - wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald (1,431), Anquan Boldin (1,038) and Steve Breaston (1,006) - became only the fifth teammate receiver threesome in league history with 1,000 yards apiece.
Carolina, on the other hand, finished third in the league in rushing offense with an average of 152.3 yards per game during the regular season. The Panthers rely on the tandem of running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Williams set team single-season records with 1,515 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, while Stewart established team rookie marks with 836 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
