Kills me that far too many folks are surprised that dome teams went into San Diego and Arizona, played on grass, and lost. In fact, unless you count the retracto-roof desert-dwelling Cards, the dome teams are all at home as the NFL cuts down to its Elite Eight.
Dome speed is chopped down on January grass. Doesn’t mean that the home team is guaranteed to win — Michael Vick proved that when he went to Green Bay and won a playoff game in 2002. But when you have flawed, limited dome teams like you did in Atlanta and Indy, to make them favorites in a playoff game is crazy.
Having said that, the Panthers should be about 3.5 point favorites over a still unidimensional Cardinals team. The problem for Carolina is that that single dimension just about beat them back in October — probably would have had Kurt Warner gotten the ball back one more time.
The Cards were up 17-3 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd and gave up a six-play TD drive featuring a 31-yard pass to Jeff King. Two plays into the next Arizona drive, Edge James fumbles at the Card 18-yard line. Jake hits #89 for a score on next play, 17-17. Warner comes right back down the field, 11 plays, 78 yards for a TD, only to see the Cards muff the XP. Three plays into the next possession #89 turns a hitch pass into a 65-yard score and Carolina goes up 24-23.
Warner then goes right back down the field to the Carolina 15 only to throw a pick to Jon Beason who returns it 44 yards, setting up a John Kasay 50-yard FG. The Panthers get a holding call and a sack to finally force Warner off the field and then kill the final six minutes with four vital first downs. Ballgame.
You can clearly see why the Cards want another shot at Carolina. But you have to believe that the Panther defense knows it will have to do something besides let Warner play pitch and catch all day.
