Jan 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) throws the ball during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals in the 2014 NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium. Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers’ late-season surge continues into the playoffs.
The Panthers scored two touchdowns in the span of 92 seconds late in the third quarter and went on to beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 in an NFC wild-card game on Saturday.
Quarterback Cam Newton hit running back Fozzy Whittaker on a 39-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 20-14 lead with 5:36 remaining in the third quarter.
After an Arizona fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Newton found Mike Tolbert out of the backfield on a 1-yard touchdown pass for a 27-14 lead with 4:04 left in the quarter.
From there, the Panthers relied on a stifling defense that allowed the Cardinals just 77 yards of total offense.
It was the Panthers’ fifth straight win. They had come on strong to win the NFC South despite a 7-8-1 regular-season record. Arizona, a wild card with an 11-5 record, ended the season with a three-game losing streak without the services of injured quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.
Whittaker’s touchdown came on a screen pass. He weaved his way from the right sideline through four different Arizona defenders and eventually rambled down the left sideline.
The Panthers then went for the jugular after Arizona’s Ted Ginn fumbled the kickoff and Kevin Reddick recovered at the Arizona 3-yard line. They wound up giving the Cardinals a meaningless safety in the final minute.
Newton finished 18-of-32 passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. He also rushed seven times for 35 yards. Running back Jonathan Stewart rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
Arizona quarterback Ryan Lindley finished 16 of 28 for 81 yards with two interceptions.
The Panthers scored the first 10 points of the game, but the Cardinals led 14-13 at halftime.
Carolina took advantage of short punts for a 47-yard field goal from Graham Gano and a 13-yard touchdown run by Stewart on its first two possessions.
The Cardinals capitalized on two Carolina turnovers for second-quarter touchdowns.
Carolina’s Brenton Bursin fumbled a punt and Stepfan Taylor recovered at the Carolina 30. The Cardinals scored six plays later on a 1-yard pass from Lindley to tight end Darren Fells.
Then cornerback Antonio Cromartie’s 50-yard interception return set the Cardinals up at the Carolina 17. Four plays later, running back Marlon Grice scored on a controversial run from 1 yard.
Grice lost the ball and it was initially ruled a fumble recovered by the Panthers, but the call was overturned on replay and it was ruled that the ball had crossed the plane before Grice lost control.
Gano kicked a 39-yard field goal in the final minute of the half.
The Panthers now await the outcome of Sunday’s Dallas-Detroit game for their second-round opponent next weekend. If Dallas wins, the Panthers will play at Seattle. If Detroit wins, the Panthers will go to Green Bay.
