CHARLOTTE — It is as if Super Bowl was a dirty term Wednesday in the Carolina Panthers’ locker room.
For a team on the cusp of advancing to the biggest stage in American sports, the Panthers were quick to shoo away the possibility. That’s because their head coach, Ron Rivera, wants his players focused on one thing — Sunday night’s date with the Arizona Cardinals — a game that just so happens to be for the NFC Championship.
“It wouldn’t do me any good to talk about the next game if we don’t get there,” Rivera said. “We understand this game is a big game. We understand this is an opportunity for us to move forward, but we’ve got to win, first.”
Rivera has done a remarkable job this season getting his guys to buy into the ‘one game at a time’ mentality. The Panthers chugged through 14 straight wins while ignoring outside noise. It’s clear Rivera’s tasked them to keep those blinders on this week.
“I don’t even see the Super Bowl right now,” tight end Ed Dickson said. “I see the Arizona Cardinals coming in our house to play us.”
Added safety Kurt Coleman, “The outside of it looks big, but really, it’s just a football game.”
It’s not, of course, which showed in a sequence of comments from Cam Newton.
First, the quarterback claimed:
“It’s just a football game. The only thing that’s changed is probably the media. We could have this game in the parking lot. We could have this game on the practice field. It’s nothing different.”
Then, less than five minutes later:
“I used to dream of being in this type of position,” Newton said. “This is why you play football games.
“I idolized the quarterbacks who would be in these positions and just dream, man, I hope and pray that I get the opportunity to do it.”
With his dream now reality, you can’t blame Newton for coloring slightly outside the company line. As much as guys will try to downplay the significance of this week, this next game is the biggest ever for most.
For his part, Rivera seemingly went out of his way Wednesday to avoid even saying Super Bowl. It may be a mental game that’s nearly impossible to win, but that doesn’t make it a faulty strategy.
“We don’t even like people talking about the Super Bowl. We’re not there yet,” safety Tre Boston said. “We’re in the Championship. If we’re not talking Championship, our locker room doesn’t want to talk.
“We know what’s ahead of us. We know what we have to go through to get what we want. When we win, next week, we’ll talk about the Super Bowl. But now we’re focused on the Championship.”
SERIES HISTORY: 15th overall meeting. Panthers lead all-time series, 9-5, including a 1-1 mark in the postseason. Carolina won the last meeting — a 27-16 victory in the Wild Card round last January.
GAME PLAN:
–The key to the Panthers’ plan this week starts with getting after quarterback Carson Palmer. The Cardinals have struggled to protect him the past two games, and the drop-back passer could be a sitting duck for Carolina’s pass rush. When they have a chance at Palmer, they have to finish. Palmer will also take some shots deep. The Panthers need to minimize the damage done downfield, and if the pass rush is effective, Palmer should be good for a pick or two.
The Cardinals have allowed 381 rushing yards in their last three games, which plays right into the hands of Carolina’s 2nd-ranked run game. The Panthers should be able to establish the tone early. Once they do that, it’ll open up passing lanes for quarterback Cam Newton, who will have some opportunities to connect deep with former Cardinal, wide receiver Ted Ginn.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
–Panthers CB Cortland Finnegan, vs. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
Finnegan had a rough second half in coverage against the Seahawks and Fitzgerald will spend a lot of time against him in the slot, a week after torching the Green Bay Packers.
–Panthers QB Cam Newton vs. Cardinals LB Deone Bucannon
Newton will likely win MVP because of his ability to beat defenses with his arm and legs, while Bucannon, a hybrid talent, can help neutralize the quarterback’s threat on the ground.