The Stage is set and so are the Leading Players for the NFC Championship Game; Cardinals face the Panthers

By Francisco Romero

After a thrilling 26-20 Arizona Cardinals’ victory over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, the red birds will face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday the 24^th for the right to advance to Super Bowl 50.

The top two seed will meet in Carolina; the Panthers defeated the Seahawks 31-24 to advance.

The game will mark the first time in NFL playoff history that two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks will start against each other, as Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (2002) meets Panthers QB Cam Newton (2010).

This will be the second year in a row the Cardinals and the Panthers will meet in a playoff game; last year Carolina eliminated the Cardinals.

This week’s game will be played in Carolina; after taking down the Packers in over time last week, the Cardinals are now 5-0 all-time at home in the postseason. That includes a 4-0 record at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Cardinals’ record on the road in 2015 was 7-1. Arizona’s seven road wins were the most in a single season in franchise history. The Cardinals scored a franchise-record 262 points in road games this season. Arizona and Carolina were the only teams to win at least seven road games in 2015.

“Looking forward to a great challenge, this guys are very unique in the way they play offense and a very potent defense, it is going to be a great challenge for us,” said Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians while describing this weekend’s matchup against the Panthers.

Cardinals’ cornerback Jerraud Powers mentioned it will be a tough game against the Panthers, “The main thing that sticks out to me is that they are physical and confident, they feel like they can run the ball on anybody and they have all year.”

The AFC championship game will feature the New England Patriots against the Denver Broncos