NFC Wild Card 2015: Lions vs. Cowboys, Cardinals vs. Panthers Early Preview

It took every second of every game in Week 17, but the NFC playoffs have finally been set. The Wild Card Round will feature the Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers next weekend.

While you can argue about the quality of the competition, the Panthers had arguably the best overall performance of Week 17. They went into Atlanta against a high-powered Falcons offense and destroyed them on both sides of the ball in a 34-3 win to clinch the NFC South for the second consecutive season. 

Of course, the Cowboys also have a good argument for the best Week 17 performance. They gave Washington a fitting end to the year in a 44-17 victory to secure the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

Arizona and Detroit come into the playoffs following tough losses. The Cardinals lost their last two games against Seattle and San Francisco to miss out on the NFC West title. The Lions came up short in their quest for the NFC North crown, losing 30-20 in Green Bay.

There's no more shuffling to be done in the NFC. Seattle and Green Bay will sit back and relax next weekend while awaiting their opponent for the divisional round.

Here is an early look at what you can expect from both Wild Card Games.

Lions vs. Cowboys Preview

Richard Lipski/Associated Press

The most scintillating matchup of Wild Card Weekend will pit the Detroit Lions' top-ranked run defense against the NFL's leading rusher, DeMarco Murray.

While that will be the focal point of the buildup, the Cowboys have a lot more going for them than Murray's running ability. The once-maligned Tony Romo, who couldn't win in December, has suddenly become a folk hero in 2014.

One reason for Romo's turnaround is the epiphany that head coach Jason Garrett told reporters he had after the Cowboys' season-opening loss against San Francisco:

"

They beat us handily, but we also did some positive things. We did a good job on defense, slowing them down. We ran the ball fairly well against a good defensive team. To me, if you get in there and you say, ‘Let’s take these plays away. Let’s not play that way to give good teams these kinds of opportunities. Let’s go play this way. Let’s defend the run. Let’s run the ball. Let’s take advantage of some opportunities in the passing game when we get some favorable looks to throw it. That’s the kind of team we can be.

"

Give Garrett credit for recognizing the positives in what was an ugly loss and getting the rest of his team to buy into it. Since this is the NFL, everything starts with the quarterback. Fortunately, Dallas has a terrific one.

Romo was masterful down the stretch in leading Dallas to its first division title since 2009, as these stats from the NFL on ESPN show:

When you have a quarterback playing as well as Romo is with a running back of Murray's caliber, it's easy to forget the dominance of Dez Bryant.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com makes sure that you don't forget about the Cowboys' star wideout:

The Lions defense has carried the team most of the year—especially down the stretch, with the exception of Week 17 against Green Bay. Detroit went four straight games without allowing more than 17 points before the Packers dropped 30 on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the problem for Detroit is on offense. Particularly, quarterback Matthew Stafford continues to be an erratic enigma. He threw for 4,254 yards with 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season, but even the good moments have been tempered due to inconsistencies.

Against the Packers, Stafford threw for touchdowns and no interceptions, but completed just 20 of his 41 attempts.

Stafford will have to end a dubious streak he's got going to keep Detroit's Super Bowl hopes alive, via Ross Jones of FoxSports.com:

"

Matthew Stafford's all-time road record against teams with winning records: 0-16.

— Ross Jones (@RossJonesFOX) December 29, 2014"

As good as the Cowboys have looked this season, they were just 4-4 at home. Of course, Detroit was 4-4 on the road. Something has to give and the smart money is on Dallas to hold serve, setting up a divisional round game against Green Bay.

Cardinals vs. Panthers

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

For better or worse, the 7-8-1 Panthers get a home playoff game by virtue of winning their division. Their record doesn't tell the story about how well this bunch has been playing down the stretch.

Since losing to Minnesota in Week 13, Ron Rivera's team has won four straight games and hasn't allowed more than 17 points to an opponent. It's not just smoke and mirrors either, as Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman succinctly noted on Twitter:

To be more precise, that Panthers defense was all over Matt Ryan in Week 17. The Falcons quarterback was sacked four times, threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns and averaged less than 5.5 yards per attempt.

You can nitpick Carolina's defense when it was beating up on Josh McCown and the Cleveland duo of Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer, but Ryan is among the best quarterbacks in the league with one of the best weapons to throw to in Julio Jones.

On offense, Cam Newton has found the gear he had at the end of 2013. The Panthers quarterback has his legs back under him, as evidenced by his rushing stats in the last three games:

With a healthy Newton and a defense playing as well as Carolina's is right now, this isn't going to be an easy game. That's especially true for an Arizona team with a major hole at the quarterback position.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Ryan Lindley has done all he can, given his limited experience and status as a career backup, but how much can the Cardinals realistically expect from him?

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Drew Stanton isn't likely to return anytime soon following surgery on his knee:

Arizona's once-stout defense has felt the pressure of playing with a third-string quarterback in the last two weeks. Seattle dropped 596 yards and 35 points on the Cardinals in Week 16. San Francisco had 206 rushing yards in Week 17.

Head coach Bruce Arians has been a master of finding what works with the Cardinals this year, taking chances all the time to give his team a chance. He did early against the 49ers, as noted by Ross Tucker of the NBC Sports Network:

"

Bruce Arians flea flicker TD on first drive. I love that guy.

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) December 28, 2014"

If there's a coach capable of devising a game plan to win a game with his third-string quarterback, it's Arians. The Cardinals have big wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd who can cause problems for a secondary.

Ultimately, as strange as it sounds, the Panthers should win this game and advance to the divisional round.

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