The Carolina Panthers will host the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. It will mark the eighth meeting all-time between the two teams. The Panthers hold a 5-2 record in the previous seven meetings, including a 25-10 victory last year in Phoenix.
In that contest, Vinny Testaverde made his Panthers debut and threw for 206 yards and a touchdown. DeAngelo Williams had a career high, 121-yard rushing performance that included a franchise high 75-yard run. The Panthers' defense picked off Tim Rattay three times, with two coming at the hands of Deke Cooper. Kurt Warner, the Cardinals starting quarterback on Sunday, came into the game late and lost a fumble to Julius Peppers.
The Panthers have been dominant in this series over the last few years. Carolina has won four straight and Arizona hasn’t defeated the Panthers since Oct. 6th, 2002.
Panthers starting quarterback Jake Delhomme is 3-0 all-time against Arizona since coming to Carolina. Peppers has also been a factor in this series, with four and a half sacks over the course of the Panthers’ win streak. In fact, the entire Carolina defensive front has been outstanding at putting pressure on Cardinals quarterbacks in recent history, amassing 13 sacks in the last five games between the teams.
On the other side of the ball, the story has been the receivers. Steve Smith is averaging eight receptions per game in the last four against Arizona, while the Cardinals’ wide-out tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald has combined for 45 receptions for 635 yards and three touchdowns in the last three games against Carolina.
This week’s matchup will be a different story. Both the Cardinals and Panthers enter Sunday’s game at the top of their divisions. The Panthers share the top spot in the NFC South with the Buccaneers, while the Cardinals rest comfortably atop the NFC West with a two-game cushion on the Rams and 49ers.
Warner’s performance so far this year is reminiscent of his MVP days in St. Louis. He has completed 70 percent of his passes and is third in the NFL with 1,708 passing yards. He has 12 touchdowns and five interceptions to hold a 102.8 quarterback rating.
His job has been made easier by Boldin and Fitzgerald, who have combined for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those 10 touchdown receptions are split between the two, with each having five to their name—tying both of them for the NFL lead with the Cowboys’ Terrell Owens.
Boldin has been out since he received a vicious hit from the Jets’ Eric Smith in the team’s Week Four loss. In his absence, rookie receiver Steve Breaston has seen increased playing time and has done a nice job filling in. Breaston has 28 catches on the year for 373 yards and a touchdown. While the Cardinals expect to have Boldin back for Sunday’s game, Breaston should still see considerable playing time as Boldin continues to recover from his fractured sinus.
The Cardinals have also seen a nice contribution from their running game, with veteran Edgerrin James rushing 101 times for 363 yards and three touchdowns while rookie Tim Hightower continues to impress, rushing 43 times for 130 yards and five touchdowns. Hightower has emerged as a solid red-zone threat for the Cardinals.
For the Panthers, the team is enjoying its return to the upper echelon of the NFL. The return of Delhomme continues to spell good things for Carolina, as the offense is clicking on all cylinders, albeit quietly. Delhomme has completed 120-of-203 passes for 1,533 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with five interceptions for an 84.0 quarterback rating.
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