Cam Newton, defense help Carolina rout Arizona in NFC title game
Cam Newton, defense help Carolina rout Arizona in NFC title game
Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others, and Carolina’s big-play defense stifled Arizona’s top-ranked offense.
The NFL’s new top man at quarterback — Newton is an All-Pro this season — goes against Manning, a five-time MVP.
The Broncos’ defense carried it past New England 20-18 for the AFC crown and Carolina’s D was just as destructive.
When Newton flew into the end zone for a 12-yard third-quarter touchdown, he posed like a superhero, dabbed a bit, and pointed the Panthers toward the Bay Area.
Ginn had a 32-yard punt return to set up his weaving 22-yard TD run, and chased down All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson to prevent a second-quarter touchdown on an interception return.
Carolina’s defense did the rest, most notably making Palmer uncomfortable in the pocket and turning Larry Fitzgerald, who scored the winning touchdown in the Cardinals’ divisional-round overtime victory against Green Bay, into a non-entity.
Capping the barrage was Kuechly, who returned an interception 22 yards for a score.
Newton hit four passes for 35 yards on the Panthers’ opening drive and Graham Gano hit from 45 yards for a 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals kept trying, and put together a 79-yard scoring drive on which David Johnson played the major role to make it 17-7, but the Cardinals got no closer.
Peterson made a huge muff trying to field a punt later in the second period, and Carolina’s Jonathan Stewart ran for 17 and 23 yards — more missed tackles by the Arizona defense — and Newton leaped to extend the ball over the goal line from the 1.
At one point, the Cardinals had turnovers on three straight plays: the muff, Palmer’s fumble, and the first of two interceptions for Kurt Coleman.