Cardinals vs. Panthers final score: Carolina gets 27-16 win

The Arizona Cardinals offense set an NFL playoff record for futility, gaining just 77 yards as the Carolina Panthers advanced with a 27-16 wild-card win Saturday.

This one was not an aesthetic beauty.

In a game featuring six combined turnovers, 15 combined penalties and perhaps the longest explanation by a referee in postseason history, the Carolina Panthers advanced to the NFC divisional playoffs Saturday with a 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

27. 87. 16. 32. Final

The concern for the Cardinals (11-6) coming into the game was how well third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley would handle the pressure of a playoff game.

The answer? Extraordinarily not well.

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Lindley threw two picks, was sacked four times and directed Arizona’s offense to the worst performance in NFL playoff history—the Cardinals gained just 77 total yards—in the loss.

The Panthers (8-8-1) won despite three turnovers of their own, picking up their first postseason win since 2005, when they reached the NFC Championship.

They also became the second division champion with a losing record to win a wild-card game, joining the Seattle Seahawks, who knocked off the New Orleans Saints in a 2010 wild-card playoff after winning the NFC West at 7-9.

Carolina appeared to be in great shape early when they took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 13-yard run by Jonathan Stewart and a 47-yard field goal by Graham Gano.

But Arizona took advantage of some Panther miscues to take a lead in the second quarter.

Brenton Bersin muffed a punt late in the first quarter and the Cardinals managed to go 30 yards in six plays—their longest sustained drive of the day as it turned out—for a 1-yard touchdown pass from Lindley to tight end Darren Fells on the first play of the new period.

It remained 10-7 until late in the quarter.

With the ball in Arizona territory and facing a third-and-13, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was picked off by Antonio Cromartie, who returned it 50 yards to the Panthers’ 17.

Four plays later, the Cardinals were in the end zone on Marion Grice’s 1-yard run.

Of course, it wasn’t as simple as that. The ruling on the field was that Grice fumbled short of the goal line and the ball was recovered by Carolina. After a lengthy review following Arizona’s challenge, the ruling on the field was overturned and the Cardinals had a 14-10 lead.

Gano made his second field goal with 15 seconds left in the half to make it 14-13.

The Panthers pulled away in the third quarter. A poor punt by Drew Butler gave Carolina the ball at the Arizona 39 and Newton hit Fozzy Whittaker with a short pass and watched his running back scamper 39 yards for the go-ahead score with 5:36 remaining in the period.

Cardinal kick returner Ted Ginn fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Carolina recovered at the Arizona 3. After a really bad defensive pass interference call against the Cardinals, Newton threw short to Mike Tolbert for a 1-yard touchdown and a commanding 27-14 lead.

The Cardinals picked up a safety when Panthers’ punter Justin Bethel stepped out of the end zone with three seconds left.

Arizona wound up losing 19 yards on the final play of the game, a series of throws and laterals that included a fumble bouncing back inside the Cardinals’ 10.

Lindley was 16-for-28 for just 81 yards overall and the Cardinals were held to 27 yards rushing on the day.

The previous record for playoff futility on offense was set by the Cleveland Browns in 1958, who were held to 86 total yards in a 10-0 loss to the New York Giants in a division tiebreaker.

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Cardinals vs. Panthers final score: Carolina D sets record in 27-16 win

By Phil Watson | Jan 3, 2015

The Arizona Cardinals offense set an NFL playoff record for futility, gaining just 77 yards as the Carolina Panthers advanced with a 27-16 wild-card win Saturday.

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