This game has all the makings for a classic. Two teams that pride themselves on hard hitting defenses and running attacks face off to play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game. The Carolina Panthers surprised everyone this season, surpassing the New Orleans Saints for the NFC South division title. They have a young defense that can beat most of their opponents at the line of scrimmage. When these two teams played in Week 10, the Panthers were able to sack Colin Kaepernick six times.
Kaepernick had a tough day against Carolina, only passing for 91 yards, his career low. The entire 49ers offense struggled and were kept out of the end zone for the entire game. Since that game, San Francisco’s offense has really gotten hot with Michael Crabtree back on the field. Cam Newton and the Carolina offense also struggled in the Week 10 matchup. Newton only completed 50 percent of his passes and the only touchdown came on a 27 yard run by DeAngelo Williams. Williams will get most of the carries today with Jonathan Stewart not being able to go today.
This game will be a clinic for anyone looking to play a defensive position in the NFL. There is so much talent on both of these defenses that despite Steve Smith,Vernon Davis, Anquan Boldin, and Frank Gore all playing, nobody will be talking about them. When asked about this game, Kaepernick says his team “owes them” a loss at home meaning this game could and will likely get chippy. 49ers vs. Panthers- who you takin?
