Page 19 - Aruba Today

SPORTS A19
Newton, Panthers rout Cardinals, 49-15 for NFC title
BARRY WILNER
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) —
For all his daring and dab-
bing and Superman per-
sona, Cam Newton quickly
reminds everyone that
football is all about team.
And his Carolina Panthers
are headed for the big
game.
“For everyone who wears
the blue and black, it has
been a long time coming,”
Newton said after anoth-
er virtuoso performance
Sunday with two touch-
down passes and another
two TD leaps — minus the
Superman cape —in a
49-15 destruction of the
Arizona Cardinals for the
NFC championship. “It’s
a question you got to ask:
Why not us? “We’ve been
dreaming about this mo-
ment since Day 1. Our pen
has a lot more ink left.”
The Panthers (17-1) have
written quite a story so
far. They manhandled
two prominent defenses
in the playoffs, Seattle (at Newton an All-Pro, “we
least for a half) and then
Arizona (14-4). They led
the league in points (500)
during the regular season,
and against the Cardinals’
top-ranked offense they
forced six turnovers by Car-
son Palmer.
So now it’s on to the Bay
Area to face Peyton Man-
ning and the Denver Bron-
cos (14-4) in Super Bowl
50. Manning, a five-time
league MVP, will play in
his fourth Super Bowl and
Denver in a record-tying
eighth. Carolina, a loser 12
years ago to New England,
gets its second trip.
“When I was growing up,”
said All-Pro linebacker Luke
Kuechly, who had a 22-
yard interception return
touchdown to give Caro-
lina the most points in an
NFC championship, “it was
Peyton Manning and the
Colts putting up big num-
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton leaps into the end zone for a touchdown run during the second hooked back up with Car-
half the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Jan. 24, olina, where Ginn spent
2016, in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers beat the Cardinals 49-15. 2013.
Ginn has had his best year,
(AP Photo/Mike McCarn) and against Arizona he
had one of his best games.
bers. He was the guy and You think? other sack. His 32-yard punt return set
still is the guy that every- But it’s not enough, the “They can do it all,” Palmer up his darting, weaving
one looks at. It’s going to fifth-year quarterback ad- said. “It’s a very solid group. 22-yard TD run. He had 52
be a lot of fun.” mitted. They have a lot of young yards in receptions, and he
Some memorable things “Yeah, we are going to the guys and then a lot of ex- tracked down All-Pro cor-
from the Panthers’ romp: Super Bowl. We are not go- perience, too.” nerback Patrick Peterson
CAM OF STEEL: Newton’s ing just to take pictures,” GINNED UP: Ted Ginn Jr. to prevent a touchdown
superhero image was en- Newton said.”We are try- spent a very unproduc- on an interception return.
hanced by yet another ing to finish this thing off.” tive 2014 with the Cardi- Man, that felt good.
fabulous performance. On BIG-PLAY DEFENSE: Den- nals, who quickly released “I felt like deep down in-
both of his TD runs, he laid ver was practically over- him after that season. He side they felt like I couldn’t
out the ball or himself to whelming defensively in do it,” Ginn said of the Car-
get into the end zone. edging the Patriots 18-16 dinals. “They sent me back
And one of his TD passes for the AFC crown. Caro- out to the wolves.
was an 86-yard catch- lina WAS overwhelming “Yes, it was personal,” Ginn
and-run by Philly Brown, against Arizona. said. “My team knew it was
helped by Rashad John- Palmer threw four inter- personal.”
son’s botched tackle. ceptions and lost two fum- DISTRESSING POSTSEASON:
Newton set an NFL mark bles; a seventh Carolina After going 13-3 and look-
with 45 touchdowns: 35 takeaway came on spe- ing like the league’s most
passes and 10 runs. On cial teams. balanced team, the Car-
Sunday, all of those talents Kurt Coleman, who had an dinals played inconsistently
were on display. NFC-best seven picks dur- in outlasting the Packers in
“We knew from the get- ing the season, grabbed overtime in the divisional
go when he first got here,” two. Tre Boston had one round. They were awful on
said center Ryan Kalil, like and Kuechly got the cap- the final step toward the
per. Super Bowl.
had something special. There were also three “This is as low as you can
Watching him grow each sacks. Kawann Short feel,” Palmer said. “You put
and every year, it’s been forced a fumble on his, so much in and you come
incredible, and this has and so did Charles John- in here with such high ex-
been a big year for him?” son. Kyle Love had the pectations. To leave the
way we’re leaving, it just
hurts.”q