Franchise bests led Panthers, Cardinals to Sunday's game

Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others as the 49 points were the most for an NFC title game victor.

Earlier, Denver and veteran quarterback Peyton Manning edged last year's champion New England Patriots and their signal caller Tom Brady 20-18 for the AFC title, reported Reuters. The Panthers responded with a Graham Gano field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead that they would not lose for the rest of the game.

Overall, the bad far outweighed the good, including one game with a passer rating of 0.0, 17 interceptions to only nine touchdown passes in the regular season, being sidelined for six weeks with a series of injuries, his first National Football League game as a backup, and vehemently denying a report linking Manning's wife to the banned drug HGH.

Newton finished with 335 yards passing and 47 rushing as Carolina won its 13th straight home game, including three in the playoffs. On the next play, Panthers safety Kurt Coleman intercepted Carson Palmer in the end zone and the Cardinals never threatened again. "You look at the score and there's still time left on the clock, and you've got to really think, 'All right, we've got to keep playing because the game's not over yet'".

Cam Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others, and Carolina's big-play defence stifled Arizona's top-ranked offence.

Fitzgerald in eight postseason games has 53 catches for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This was Davis' second trip to the NFC championship game with the Panthers.

Exactly 12 years ago, the Panthers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Patriots in their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. At most books in this gambling city, the Panthers were a 4-point pick, though the early line varied, with the over/under settling in at 45.

"On one side I'm getting a strong and deep sense of family, tradition and culture", he said.

The Broncos were forced to hold on at Sports Authority Field after Brady's four-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski with 12 seconds remaining but an interception on the two-point conversion all but sealed the win.

Midway through the first quarter, Ginn almost broke a punt return, tripping on the turf after a 32-yard return.

"There was pressure all day", Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said.

"Speed kills - and that is what he did today, " running back Jonathan Stewart said. But maybe his biggest play was chasing down Peterson after an interception in the final minute of the first half. Davis put his right forearm out to stop Fells, and then left the game favoring it. "I kept digging us a hole that we just couldn't come out of".

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who was a midseason acquisition, made a couple of key defensive plays in the first quarter for the Panthers.

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