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• Cards 1st NFC Title Game

SCOUTING REPORT

Panthers will stay undefeated at homeThis is a divisional-round playoff game that is going to be a lot closer than most people think. It's a rematch of a game played in Week 8 in which Arizona let Carolina off the hook. The Cardinals have not had a lot of success traveling east this season, but they match up well against the Panthers. Both teams have a lot of athletic ability at the skill positions, which presages a high-scoring contest. This game also features two of the best receivers in the game: Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers WR Steve Smith.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
ARI	3-1	118	89	2-1	1-0	0-0	3-0
CAR	0-1	13	33	0-1	0-0	0-0	0-1
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

Arizona Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Warner 67.5 2718 20 11 Leinar... 68.0 119 0 1

Carolina Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Delhom... 57.1 1885 8 14 Moore 50.0 63 0 1

Arizona Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Wells 100 469 4.7 4 Highto... 102 430 4.2 5

Carolina Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Willia... 181 982 5.4 7 Stewar... 110 509 4.6 6

Arizona Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Fitzge... 71 792 11.2 9 Boldin 51 612 12.0 2

Carolina Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Smith 45 599 13.3 4 Muhamm... 33 337 10.2 0

Full Player Stats: Arizona | Carolina

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	ARI	366.0
	CAR	350.0
Yards Passing	ARI	292.1
	CAR	197.4
Yards Rushing	ARI	73.6
	CAR	152.3
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	ARI	331.5
	CAR	331.2
Pass Yds Allowed	ARI	221.3
	CAR	211.7
Rush Yds Allowed	ARI	110.3
	CAR	119.5

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Carolina leads 5-3
Oct 26, 2008	ARI 23, CAR 27
Oct 14, 2007	ARI 10, @CAR 25
Oct 9, 2005	ARI 20, @CAR 24
Nov 21, 2004	ARI 10, CAR 35
Dec 14, 2003	ARI 17, @CAR 20
Oct 6, 2002	ARI 16, CAR 13
Dec 30, 2001	ARI 30, CAR 7

The Eastern time zone hasn't been very friendly to the Arizona Cardinals. The Carolina Panthers couldn't be more comfortable in their home just 200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Panthers look to improve to 9-0 at home by beating the Cardinals in Charlotte for the second time this season as the teams square off Saturday night for the chance to advance to the NFC championship game.

Carolina tied for the best regular-season record in the NFC at 12-4, thanks in large part to its first undefeated record at home since 1996. The Panthers won their eight games at Bank of America Stadium by an average of 15.4 points.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, went 0-5 in the East, losing to Washington, the New York Jets, Carolina, Philadelphia and New England by an average of 20.0 points. They are 2-20 in their last 22 games in the Eastern time zone.

The closest the Cardinals (10-7) came to a victory along the East Coast was their 27-23 loss to the Panthers on Oct. 26. Trailing 24-23 in the fourth quarter, Arizona drove to the Carolina 15-yard line before Kurt Warner's pass was intercepted by Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason. The Cardinals led 17-3 early in the third quarter of that game.

Warner threw for 381 yards, the most allowed by the Panthers until they gave up 386 to New Orleans' Drew Brees in their regular-season finale.

"We had good coverage, but those receivers are big and strong," Beason said of the Panthers' first meeting with the Cardinals.

The much-maligned Carolina secondary will again have its hands full Saturday. Arizona was second in the league with 292.1 passing yards per game and third with 31 touchdowns in the air thanks to a comeback year for the 37-year-old Warner and a dynamic receiving corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston.

Though they don't expect stopping Arizona to be easy, Carolina defenders think they'll rise to the challenge.

"We've won in every way imaginable this year, so we feel very confident going into the playoffs," safety Chris Harris said.

The Cardinals have to be feeling pretty good as well after beating Atlanta 30-24 in a wild-card game last Saturday, an upset victory for an Arizona team that won the weak NFC West.

"A lot of people coming into this game said we were the worst playoff team ever to get in," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "... I think we rallied around that."

Warner, in the playoffs for the first time since leading St. Louis to a second Super Bowl in 2001, was 19-of-32 -- 13-for-17 in the second half -- for 271 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

"I hope this gives us a lot of confidence," Warner said. "I knew we thought we could win this game. Hopefully we can parlay this into some more confidence and know we can win wherever we have to go."

The Panthers had last week off thanks to John Kasay's last-second, game-winning field goal against the Saints on Dec. 28 that secured the No. 2 seed for Carolina.

"Guys don't feel as tired and they don't hurt as bad and there's a home game," Kasay said. "There are a lot of things that ripple out of that kick."

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme helped put Kasay in position for that crucial kick by engineering his fourth game-winning drive with less than four minutes remaining of the season.

Delhomme, who turns 34 Saturday, is 54-32 as a starter in six seasons with the Panthers, including 5-2 in the playoffs. He's engineered 13 winning drives in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime, and his 95.0 passer rating in the postseason is better than any other quarterback still alive in this year's playoffs.

"You've seen a difference between last year and this year, having him and not having him," said left tackle Jordan Gross, who endured a 7-9 season with Delhomme sidelined for most of 2007. "He's definitely our leader and the whole team revolves around him."

Delhomme may be the leader, but he's been getting plenty of help from the Panthers' running back tandem of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart.

Williams finished third in the league with 1,515 rushing yards and first with 18 touchdowns -- 16 in his last nine games. Stewart, a first-round pick out of Oregon, added 836 yards and 10 TDs.

Arizona's running game wasn't nearly as strong in 2008, but Edgerrin James -- benched midway through the season before returning as the Cardinals' lead back in the final regular-season game -- outgained Atlanta's Michael Turner last Saturday, rushing for 73 yards on 16 attempts.

James has been frustrated with his role and vowed that this will be his last season with the Cardinals, but still expects good things to happen this postseason.

"We have so much potential on this team, so why not go out and live up to our potential?" he said.

James could be particularly important for Arizona with Boldin nursing a strained left hamstring he suffered in last week's victory. Boldin, who had 89 catches for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games this season, is undergoing treatment but doesn't plan to test the hamstring before gametime.

"Still tight," Boldin said Wednesday. "I'm not sure at this point. I'm just taking it a day at a time, trying to do what I can to get it better.

"I'm just trying to lay off it right now," he added. "Just rest it. Do enough to get me going but not to aggravate it."

'Messed-up hand' limits Panthers DE Peppers

Julius Peppers' hand is a touchy subject in the secretive world of NFL injuries. Coach John Fox would only call it a "messed-up hand."

Cards' Warner to have tests to determine status

Coach Ken Whisenhunt says he had a long talk with Kurt Warner on the flight home, and the quarterback was alert and upbeat following a blow to the head in Sunday's' victory over the Rams.

Panthers' Gross has broken right leg, not ankle

Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross broke his right leg, not his ankle, as the team first announced.

Scouts Buzz: Stafford growing up fast

Scouts Inc. examines Matthew Stafford's development, the Vikings' dynamic offense and more.

Sendlein played through pain in '08

It was surprising this off-season when the Cardinals opted not to try and upgrade their center position, given the occasional struggles of starter Lyle Sendlein in 2008.

Breaston blooms in Boldin's absence

Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston, seen here in action against the 49ers last season, is taking advantage of Anquan Boldin's absence in summer workouts.

The Risk Remains

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald breaks the huddle during 11-on-11 drills Monday after coming down awkwardly on a catch earlier in the workout.

Fitzgerald OK after awkward catch

For a minute or two, it looked as if the first day of June would bring gloom to the Cardinals.

Boldin hires Condon as agent

Receiver Anquan Boldin has hired Tom Condon as his agent, replacing Drew Rosenhaus, who was fired last week.

Panthers become big losers - of excess weight

There's much less to see when you look at the Carolina Panthers' sideline these days.

Moore making most of shot with Panthers

The Panthers' Kenny Moore, shown with students at First Ward Elementary School on March 10, is among the candidates to enter the season as the team's No.

New fullback has Hoover a bit on edge

When it comes to locker room grief, Carolina Panthers fullback Brad Hoover gives it as well as anyone.

Brown's focus is on technique

If the Carolina Panthers were truly worried about Everette Brown's size, they wouldn't be lining him up the way they are.

Hoover doesn't plan to go without a fight

Brad Hoover was walking off the practice field Monday shortly after beating most of his Carolina Panthers teammates in a series of sprints when he told a reporter he couldn't talk until later.