5 best playoff wins in Carolina Panthers’ franchise history

No. 2 – Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (2016)

The Carolina Panthers learned the lesson that the Seattle Seahawks taught them during the Divisional Round and quickly implemented this by dismantling the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game.

Carolina scored three touchdowns and one field goal in the first half, once again jumping out to a sizable first-half lead. However, the scoring did not stop there and the defense held off comeback attempts after the break.

The Panthers allowed one score in the second half, a 21-yard pass from Carson Palmer to tight end Darren Fells early in the fourth quarter. However, Carolina poured on an additional 25 points to defeat the Cardinals 49-15.

They played inspired football on both sides of the field, led by a performance by quarterback Cam Newton that no doubt made him worthy of his NFL MVP selection.

Newton finished the game with 335 yards passing and 47 rushing yards, four total touchdowns, and a 117.4 passing rating. Wide receiver Ted Ginn, who played for the Cardinals the previous season, had three keys plays, including using his elite speed to chase down Patrick Peterson, preventing a return for a score.

In addition, Ginn finished the game with two receptions for 52 yards.

The Panthers’ defense never let up on the Cardinals. The defense caused fits in the pocket and sacked Palmer three times. He also turned the ball over four times, three times by interception and once by a lost fumble.

Running back David Johnson was able to rush for 60 yards, scoring once and adding 68 receiving yards. However, Carolina was able to restrict the passing game, making Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd non-factors.

The Cardinals made one mistake after another as the Panthers annihilated them to capture the George Halas Trophy for the second time in franchise history and advance to the Super Bowl, where they eventually fell short against the Denver Broncos.