Panthers play home season finale vs. Cardinals
by Sharon Thorsland
It’s the final home game of the season for the Panthers on Sunday as they take on the Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. The Cardinals are 7-7 on the season and fighting for a playoff berth, so they’ll be ready to go in this one. The Panthers have no shot at the playoffs but they’re looking to close out their home slate with a win, especially after last week’s loss to the Cowboys. They’ll have all they can handle with this Arizona offense, featuring dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray. The former number one draft pick has thrown for nearly 3,100 yards and 15 touchdowns, and he’s also run for another 455 yards and four more scores.
Murray teams with veteran running back James Conner to average over 141 rushing yards per game, that’s 7th in the NFL. The Panthers have had all sorts of trouble stopping the run this season, they continue to rank last in the league allowing 173 yards per game on the ground. They’ve got to tighten up the run defense this week or it could be a long day for the defense, which will also haven its hands full with Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. The third year player is having an outstanding season with 89 catches for 938 yards. Rookie receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. has 47 catches with seven touchdowns, he’s averaging nearly 15 yards a catch.
After turning the ball of four times against the Cowboys, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young will face a Cardinals defense that ranks ninth in the NFL with 14 takeaways. They’ve got an outstanding secondary anchored by All-Pro safety Budda Baker, he’s second in the league in tackles. Cornerback Sean Murhpy-Bunting has two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The Cardinals have been hit with a lot of injuries across the front seven, but second year defensive tackle Dante Stills has stepped up, he leads the team with 4.5 sacks. Veteran linebacker Kyzir White is second on the team in tackles and has an interception.
This is the fifth time these teams have met in the past six seasons. The Panthers had won four straight before dropping the last game in 2022. They’d like to get back in the win column Sunday, and get back to playing Panther football after a disappointing performance last week. “This is another opportunity to show what kind of team we are,