NFC Championship Game 2016: 5 reasons the Carolina Panthers could beat the Arizona Cardinals

Jan 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Thomas Davis (58) and middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) react in the third quarter in the 2014 NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates with fans after beating the Arizona Cardinals in the 2014 NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

They will be in Charlotte

This may seem like a standard advantage, but this is key for three reasons:

The Panthers are the only team in the NFL that finished the season a perfect 8-0 at their home stadium.
University of Phoenix Stadium is LOUD.
It might get sloppy outside on Sunday.

Home field has played to a particular advantage for the Cardinals in the past, giving the team a boost both in terms of atmosphere and playing surface. This has been explained, whereas the Panthers’ success springs from generating the run on offense and stopping it on defense, the Cardinals win with speed and precision on offense. Rather than in the cozy dome, this game will be played outdoors in freezing temperatures. In fact, let’s take a peek at that weather report, shall we …

From USA Today:

"Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in North Carolina on Thursday. The city of Charlotte could see up to a half-inch of ice and more than 2½ inches of snow with the storm that it is expected to last through at least Saturday."

A typical day in North Dakota is a state of emergency in North Carolina. Of course, if this happened in Arizona it would likely be followed by Conquest, War, Famine and Death on horseback.

If there is a situation where the Panthers move past the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game, it would probably go something like this: Overpowered by the weather and rabid opposition from fans, the Cardinals’ offense succumbs to a handful of negative plays and turnovers. Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Josh Norman feast on opportunities. These mistakes are further compounded by the crowd, and they continue to get louder and make it more difficult for the Cardinals to establish any sort of rhythm.

Basically, the Panthers could re-create the first half of their game against Seattle. That’s when the home-field advantage truly takes into effect.

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