Don't despair fans; Panthers will be fine
December 22
Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler
"It's hard to believe, but New York Giants' running back Derrick Ward turned out to be the most elusive back on the field Sunday night.
Ward ran for 51, 17 and 14 yards on the Giants' game-winning overtime touchdown drive in New York's 34-28 OT win against Carolina on Sunday. Ward did the sorts of things DeAngelo Williams has been doing almost the entire season.
But this time, Ward and the Giants' running game trumped Carolina's running game, and that was the difference in this taut thriller.
Williams scored all four Panther touchdowns, but he never touched the ball on Carolina's one overtime possession, and that was all the Panthers got. Ward ran for an astounding 215 yards against Carolina (88 in OT), as the Panthers' defense badly let its team down late.
So there's no doubt the Panthers whiffed on a huge opportunity Sunday night. They led for most of the game against the Giants. Carolina, although in the playoffs already, now needs to win at New Orleans Sunday to be assured of the No. 2 seed, a first-round playoff bye and at least one home playoff game.
Yet Panther fans shouldn't despair for too long. Carolina has already qualified for the playoffs. Sunday night's game was the sort that begs for an encore, and there may well be one on Jan.18.
That is the date of the NFC championship game. If Carolina (11-4) and the Giants (12-3) both get there, these two teams will play again for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
That's the way it should be, because the Panthers and the Giants proved they were the class of the NFC Sunday. This was a game full of big plays, and the Giants simply made more of them late.
The Panthers' John Kasay missed a 50-yard field goal that could have won this one at the end of regulation as the ball drifted left. And then, in overtime, the Giants got Ward's three huge runs to set up the winning TD run by Brandon Jacobs."
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