It’s Carolina: Arizona Cardinals Set For Saturday Showdown
By Scott Allen
Arizona Cardinals (11-5) go on the road to face the Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) in a NFC Wild-Card matchup
The schedule for the playoffs is set. The Arizona Cardinals will go to Charlotte to face the NFC South Champion Carolina Panthers. As a division winner, the Panthers are awarded the home game even though they finished 7-8-1. Game time is 2:35pm Arizona time.
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The Cardinals by giving up a second half 17-13 lead and losing 20-17 to the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks defeating the St. Louis Rams 20-6 after being down 6-0 at halftime, end up with the fifth seed. They end up tied with the Detroit Lions but due to their victory over the Lions in November, they get the fifth seed and the Lions the sixth seed. The Seahawks win the NFC West and the number one seed.
If the Cardinals are able to pull off the playoff road victory on Saturday, then they would go to either Seattle or face the Green Bay Packers on Saturday January 10th or Sunday January 11th. That will all depend on what happens in the Lions-Dallas Cowboys game. If the Lions win, then the Cardinals will go to Green Bay. If the Cowboys win, then the Cardinals must go to Seattle for a third matchup this season with the Seahawks.
Either way, it is going to be a tough matchup for the Cardinals despite the Panthers record. The Panthers destroyed the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta 34-3 on Sunday. They are on a four-game winning streak.
If you think you’ve seen this matchup in the playoffs before, well its because you have. The Arizona Cardinals back in 2009 went on the road to Carolina and defeated the Panthers 33-13 in the divisional playoff round on their way to the Super Bowl. The road will be a bit tougher this time. The only home playoff game the Cardinals can possibly play is the NFC Championship Game if it is against the Lions. Oh, and this thing called the Super Bowl.