Super Bowl 50: 5 keys for the Carolina Panthers

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Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) tackles Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Stop the run

The Panthers haven’t allowed a team to rush for 100 yards against them all postseason, and they shouldn’t start now. They held the Seahawks in check, containing Marshawn Lynch to 20 yards and Russell Wilson to 32, and then followed that performance by clamping down on Arizona’s David Johnson and limiting him to 60 yards on the ground, over a third of which came on just one run.

Those are impressive stats for a defense, especially this time of year. But it’s nothing new for the Panthers: while Denver finished with the No. 3 rushing defense during the regular season, Carolina was right behind them at No. 4.

The difference here when it comes to the ground game is that the Panthers finished in the top five both offensively and defensively when it comes to the rush. The Broncos were also top five in rushing defense, but finished an uninspiring 17th in rushing offense.

That said, C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman have shown flashes of improvement over the second half of the season and into the playoffs, so Carolina will need to continue to do what they do best and stall the Broncos’ run game.

Next: 3. Test the secondary

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