The Panthers are now preparing for a trip to San Francisco on Feb. 9 to take on the Denver Broncos in the 50th Super Bowl.
The road may have seemed easy when simply looking at the 16-1 record, the best in the NFL this season, but close games with clutch wins got the Panthers where they are today.
For the first game of the season the Panthers were put to the test by the Jacksonville Jaguars who are not typically seen as an NFL powerhouse. To the surprise of many critics, enemies and even Panthers fans, Carolina continued to shock the nation with key wins over strong teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and even the Green Bay Packers.
Tanner Brown was one of thousands of fans to attend that key Green Bay victory.
“It was incredible, I have never seen so much doubt and so much support in one stadium,” said Brown.
As the Panthers arrived at the playoffs they were followed by a bandwagon full of fans all across the country. The experts had predicted a loss for the Panthers, but that only gave the players the motivation to prove them wrong.
In their first game after a one round bye, the Seahawks were stunned for a second time falling to the sharp claws of the Panthers. As the next game approached, the experts themselves began to hop right on the bandwagon.
The Arizona Cardinals came to Charlotte with a 14-3 record to take on the Panthers in the National Football Conference championship game. The result of the game was a 49-15 victory for the Panthers.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and crew stormed into the stadium knowing that victory was only 60 minutes away. By the time the clock struck zero at the end of the fourth quarter, the Arizona Cardinals had joined the club of defeat.
Though the Panthers have high hopes for victory in the 50th Super Bowl, they may have to do so without some key players, specifically wide receiver Philly (Corey) Brown, LineBacker Thomas Davis Sr. , Defensive Tackle Dwan Edwards, Defensive End Charles Johnson, Center Ryan Kalil, Running Back Jonathan Stewart, FullBack Mike Tolbert and Running Back Fozzy Whittaker.
“We run deep, we have to learn to step up when needed and I think and hope that we will be able to do the same on Feb. 9,” said season ticket holder Easton Payton about the injuries.