Next Hero - Cam Newton Where else to start than with Cam Newton? After all, Superman is the world’s most famous superhero! Having lost his number one receiver before the season, what Newton has done with a bunch of average wideouts has been nothing short of miraculous. On Sunday night, he threw two touchdown passes and added another two with his legs. His second was a run showing such brute strength and athleticism, no other quarterback in the NFL could have made it, nor many of the running backs! He is the lifeblood of this team and the probable NFL MVP will have his shot at ultimate glory in Santa Clara in two weeks time.

Previous Next Villain - Carson Palmer This was meant to be the season where Carson Palmer cleared the skeletons from his closet. Having suffered an ACL tear to prematurely end his season last year, he finally got his first post-season win last week. He looked shaky, but he came through. Armed with perhaps the most complete team in the NFL, this was his time to exercise the demons from the past and send Arizona to a Super Bowl. Instead he gave his critics a wealth of fresh ammunition to fire at him. Responsible for SIX turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles) trying to needlessly force the ball downfield, he ultimately cost his side 14 points and any shot at a comeback.

Previous Next Hero - Ted Ginn Jr. Often criticised for dropping the ball at inopportune times, Ginn turned up to play on Sunday. Having left the Panthers after the 2013 season to join Arizona, where he was snubbed as a receiver, Ginn played with a point to prove. He had two solid catches for first downs and kept the chains moving at important times for Carolina. It was also Ginn that chased the full length of the field stopping Patrick Peterson taking his interception to the house. His finest moment though came on a 22-yard rushing touchdown. A run which saw him run all the way left, before cutting right back across the field, turning on the burners and easing into the end zone for the score. The run saw him cover a total on 91 yards and hit a top speed of 19.8 mph.

Previous Next Villain - Patrick Peterson Much of the pre-game narrative was a war of words between cornerbacks Josh Norman and Patrick Peterson. On the day, Norman did nothing special, but he stuck to his business and did his job. Peterson, however, had a night to forget. Right after Arizona made it 17-7, the Panthers had been forced into two straight three and outs and the momentum was possibly swinging back their way. Peterson was penalised for a defensive hold on Ginn, which allowed an easy first down on a drive that ended with a touchdown. From the resulting kick, he tried to take the catch on the run, fumbled and the Panthers recovered. To be fair, he then got the interception, but that was followed by a Palmer pick, the third turnover in just four plays and the damage was done.

Previous Next Hero - Kurt Coleman Having lost cornerbacks Bene Benwikere and Charles Tillman in previous weeks, the Panthers secondary was a clear target for Arizona with deep threat John Brown. When veteran safety Roman Harper left the game with an eye injury, the Panthers needed someone to step up and make some plays. Kurt Coleman was that man. Four tackles, two passes defended and two key, touchdown saving interceptions. The first, right before the half, kept the Panthers 17 points up knowing they were getting it back to start the second half. The second was on a deep pass that would have brought the Cardinals within two scores, but instead effectively ended the contest.

Previous Next Villain - Bruce DeHaven A bit of a strange one I know, but the Panthers Special Teams Coordinator ruffled some feathers on Sunday night, opting to go for a two-point conversion when leading 40-15 with a little over five minutes left in the game. I understand the need to perhaps try some one-yard line plays but Cam Newton has 14 feet long arms for those situations! With the crowd already going wild and the game was clearly in the bag, it felt a little bit classless to stick the boot in like that.