The Carolina Panthers host the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship, with a spot in Super Bowl 50 on the line. Both teams are still looking for their first Super Bowl title, and each has made it to the big game just one time apiece.
The Cardinals survived a thrilling Divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers. After Arizona took a 20-13 lead with 1:55 left, the Packers staged an improbable comeback, turning a fourth-and-20 into a 60-yard gain and then tying the score when Aaron Rodgers hit Jeff Janis in the end zone with no time left in regulation.
Things got even crazier in overtime. First, the referee had to redo the coin toss after it didn't flip (Arizona won both tosses, for what it's worth). Then on the Cardinals' first play, Carson Palmer escaped heavy pressure and found a wide open Larry Fitzgerald, who galloped 75 yards down to the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Palmer flipped a shovel pass to Fitzgerald, who finished the job with the game-winning touchdown.
The Panthers' Divisional round win wasn't quite as dramatic, but they still had to sweat a bit toward the end. The game became a laugher early on when Carolina sprinted out to a 31-0 halftime lead over the Seattle Seahawks, but the Seahawks pulled themselves together and made things interesting, scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half. Their comeback fell short, but they at least made the final 31-24 scoreline look respectable. Still, Carolina's dream season lives another week.
The Cardinals made their only Super Bowl appearance in the 2008 season, losing a 27-23 classic to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Panthers last reached the big game in the 2003 season, falling to the New England Patriots, 32-29.
How to watch
When: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews
Online: Fox Sports Go
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