The Arizona Cardinals are headed to the NFC Championship game for just the second time in franchise history – but if they're going to advance to their second-ever Super Bowl, they'll have to be much better in several facets of the game this Sunday than they were last weekend.
The Cards got away with playing less than their best in Saturday's 26-20 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers. But the host Carolina Panthers are a higher-quality opponent -- and unlike last weekend, the Cardinals will play this game away from home.
Here are three things the Cards must do better this Sunday when they take on the 16-1 Panthers in Charlotte.
1. Carson Palmer must be more accurate.
He’ll likely be the runner-up to Carolina’s Cam Newton for this years’ MVP award, but Palmer didn't have an MVP-caliber game against Green Bay. He threw two interceptions and, frankly, he was lucky he didn’t throw at least two more.
There's speculation that a finger injury on his throwing hand is bothering him, but Palmer shot down those rumors Wednesday. Regardless, the 13th-year pro simply has to be more accurate in Carolina, especially on his deep throws.
The Panthers have a talented secondary, but as Seahawks QB Russell Wilson reminded us last weekend, Carolina can be beaten on long pass plays. The Cards’ Super Bowl chances could depend on Palmer's deep-pass accuracy on Sunday.
2. Gotta get the running game going.
Great teams find ways to win when they're not at their best, which is why the Cardinals were able to survive the Packers despite rushing for just 40 yards Saturday. David Johnson managed just 35 yards on 15 carries against Green Bay, but that was primarily the fault of the offensive line, not the rookie rusher.
The bad news is Carolina has one of the NFL’s best rushing defenses -- much better than Green Bay's, in fact. But if the Cards are to advance to their second-ever Super Bowl, the Cards’ O-line has to provide Johnson and the Cards' running backs more room to run.
3. Get pressure on the quarterback.
The Cardinals made life miserable for Packers QB Aaron Rodgers in their regular-season matchup, sacking him eight times and forcing a pair of fumbles. But in their playoff matchup last weekend, the Cards' pass rush was MIA, and Rodgers had all the time in the world to pick apart the Arizona secondary.
The Cardinals won't get away with a lack of pressure on Newton, who can beat you with his arm and his feet. Newton is a hard man to bring to the turf, but Arizona must at least force him out of the pocket and make great throws on the run.
