Cardinals vs. Panthers: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

Laugh at their losing record all you want, but the only thing that matters for the Carolina Panthers is that they are in the NFL playoffs. What’s more, they are the favorites at home against a reeling Arizona Cardinals squad that has a giant question mark at quarterback.

Whoever wins this Wild Card Round showdown will be seen as something of the Cinderella of the rest of the NFC playoffs, but the only way to advance is with a victory.

Here is a look at the essential information for Saturday’s showdown.

Cardinals vs. Panthers

Date: Saturday, Jan. 3

Time: 4:20 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Spread: Panthers -6.5 (via Odds Shark, as of Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET)

Injury Report (via CBS Sports)

DATE	POS	PLAYER	INJURY	NFL STATUS	UPDATE
12/28/14	LB	A.J. Klein	Knee	QUESTIONABLE	Missed Week 17 at Atlanta
12/28/14	RB	DeAngelo Williams	Hand	PROBABLE	Missed Week 17 at Atlanta

DATE	POS	PLAYER	INJURY	NFL STATUS	UPDATE
12/28/14	LB	Lorenzo Alexander	KNEE	PROBABLE
12/28/14	WR	Jaron Brown	FOOT	PROBABLE
12/28/14	S	Deone Bucannon	KNEE	QUESTIONABLE
12/28/14	DE	Calais Campbell	HIP	PROBABLE
12/28/14	TE	John Carlson	CALF	QUESTIONABLE
12/28/14	G	Jonathan Cooper	WRIST	QUESTIONABLE
12/28/14	WR	Larry Fitzgerald	KNEE	PROBABLE
12/28/14	LB	Larry Foote	KNEE	DOUBTFUL	Missed Week 17 at San Francisco
12/28/14	S	Rashad Johnson	ANKLE	PROBABLE
12/28/14	C	Ted Larsen	SHOULDER	PROBABLE
12/28/14	S	Tyrann Mathieu	THUMB	PROBABLE
12/28/14	LB	Matt Shaughnessy	SHOULDER	PROBABLE
12/28/14	QB	Drew Stanton	KNEE	OUT	Missed Week 17 at San Francisco
12/28/14	NT	Dan Williams	FOOT	QUESTIONABLE

Preview/Prediction

It was a tale of two seasons for both the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals. The Panthers started 3-8-1 but finished 4-0, while the Cardinals started 9-1 but finished 2-4. It is worth mentioning that seven of Arizona’s first nine wins came against teams that didn’t make the playoffs.

Arizona enjoyed most of its success because of its defense, but that certainly wasn’t the case down the stretch.

The Cardinals gave up 473 yards on the ground against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in the last two weeks and looked like a shell of their former selves. Brad Gagnon of CBS Sports discussed Arizona’s recent struggles against the run:

"

First, during the second half of the season Arizona has run into Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch twice, plus Frank Gore and Jamaal Charles. So those numbers were probably supposed to drop.

They weren't supposed to fall off a cliff, though, which has me wondering if injuries have simply caught up to a team that has spent the entire season without key front-seven defenders Darnell Dockett, Daryl Washington and Karlos Dansby. Throw in the late-season loss of the dependable Larry Foote and it becomes a little tough to overcome.

"

Perhaps most importantly when looking ahead to the playoff game, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick combined for 278 rushing yards and 7.9 yards per carry in four games against Arizona. Considering Carolina quarterback Cam Newton ran for 65.6 yards per game in the last three contests, that could be a problem for the Cardinals.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Newton is not the only threat on the ground for this Carolina attack that finished seventh in the league in rushing yards per game.

Jonathan Stewart was one of the best running backs in all of football down the stretch. He ran for 155 yards against the New Orleans Saints and 122 yards against the Cleveland Browns in the final four games, and he is an X-factor against Arizona’s front.

If the Cardinals have to put more guys in the box against the Carolina run, that could open things up for Newton, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen. Arizona was an abysmal 29th in the league against the pass this season, and Benjamin and Olsen combined for 2,016 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches.

Even with a porous secondary, Arizona’s biggest concern is its own quarterback situation.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton are both injured, which means the responsibility of leading the offense falls to third-stringer Ryan Lindley. He threw three crippling interceptions against the 49ers in the season finale and struggled to instill any confidence in the Cardinals attack.

Stanton could still theoretically play, but it is difficult to see him coming back after knee surgery. Even if he does, he was dead last among 33 qualifying quarterbacks in completion percentage at 55, so it’s not like Stanton is a savior waiting in the wings.

Arizona also lost running back Andre Ellington for the season, which is the last thing this offense—31st in the league in rushing yards—needs.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The one thing that could play in Arizona’s favor is the return game. Ted Ginn Jr. was third in the league in yards per punt return, and Carolina gave up more yards per punt return than any team in the league.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera discussed the matchup with Ginn, via Jonathan Jones of The News & Observer: “We’ll have a strategy for Ted. We respect Teddy’s ability. We do have a sense and feel for him. We spent some time looking at him. ... We know his explosiveness, his play-making ability.”

There is very little reason to be confident in this Arizona offense, and the defense doesn’t look nearly as formidable as it did early in the season. As long as the Panthers contain Ginn in the return game, they should be able to defend home field against a Cardinals squad that was only 4-4 on the road this season.

Look for Newton and the red-hot Panthers to take advantage of a struggling Cardinals defense with both Newton's arm and legs on the way to victory. 

Prediction: Panthers 27, Cardinals 14

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