Plenty of Intrigue in Cardinals-Panthers in NFC title game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hey, don’t forget about us.

As in, yes, while Brady-Manning 17 takes place earlier in the day, the teams with the two best records in the NFL go at it in the NFC championship game Sunday night.

That would be the host Carolina Panthers, that rare team to go 15-1 in the regular season, and the Arizona Cardinals, who were next in the NFC and overall standings at 13-3. Maybe it isn’t the juiciest story line dominating the football world, but there’s plenty of reasons to be intrigued by this one, too.

“One guy (Tom Brady) is playing in his 10th and there are two guys that are playing in their first,” Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer says of reaching the last step before the Super Bowl. Palmer, in his 13th season, and Panthers QB Cam Newton, in his fifth, are newbies at conference title games. “Everybody has a different journey. Everybody has a different path, and however it works out is the way it works out. Everybody has different roads.”
That’s also true for the coaches. Arizona’s Bruce Arians’ long and winding coaching road goes back to his time at Alabama under Bear Bryant. Ron Rivera, a linebacker for the awesome Chicago Bears’ defense of the 1980s, spent time on three coaching staffs before landing the Carolina gig.

Both franchises have been to the Super Bowl and lost close contests. New England beat Carolina 32-29 after the 2003 season, and Pittsburgh edged Arizona 27-23 for the 2009 championship.

“I think we are the better team,” Cardinals All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson says. “I’m pretty sure they are saying the same thing, that they are the better team. We’ll find out on Sunday.”

Some things to watch for in the NFC championship game, which kicks off at 6:40 p.m. ET: