Panthers remain undefeated after fending off furious charge from Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Breaking down the still-undefeated Carolina Panthers’ 38-35 win over the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium:
Big picture: Carolina’s quest for perfection remains intact, while the Giants’ sagging playoff hopes are now on life support coupled with the Washington Redskins' defeat of the Buffalo Bills. The Panthers (14-0) can clinch home-field advantage by winning either of their final two games or having the Arizona Cardinals lose just one of their final three. While there are no givens in the NFL, those are certainly favorable enough odds that the bigger question now will be if the desire to rest banged-up starters (both Panthers receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and center Matt Kalil were injured Sunday) becomes more important than that rare 16-0 milestone. The Giants (6-8) can’t finish with a winning record, but they’re still technically in the mix in the NFC East. That won’t stop there from being more questions about head coach Tom Coughlin’s future than their playoff future in the next few weeks. The team’s all-for-naught 28-point comeback certainly showed that the two-time Super Bowl winner’s squad isn’t going down without a fight.
MVP? Panthers quarterback Cam Newton may have locked up the award. He passed for 340 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 100 more yards. He capped the day by leading a game-winning field-goal drive.
Key moment: It seemed like a typical run at the time when Giants running back Rashad Jennings ran for 2 yards on second-and-3 at midfield with a little over three-and-a-half minutes left in the first half. But an astute Panthers coaching staff noticed the ball come loose just before Jennings’ knee hit the ground and won a challenge, giving Carolina the ball with the game tied 7-7. Newton hit Greg Olsen on a 37-yard touchdown strike three plays later, opening up the floodgates as the Panthers went on a 28-point run. The Panthers would need every one of those points as the Giants mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, tying the game with 1:43 to play.
Norman vs. Beckham: While Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. unleashed sweet revenge on him during the furious fourth-quarter comeback that included a touchdown grab, Panthers defensive player of the year candidate Josh Norman entered Richard Sherman territory during the first three quarters. Sure, his play has been at that level all season, but Norman proved to be able to get in the head of a top-tier receiver.
Key stat: The Panthers gave up 28 points in the last 16:27 of the game. The Giants were too inept in the first three quarters to make this the official “trap game” loss that Panthers skeptics have been waiting for all season. But that “trap quarter” ought to have been plenty to ensure this team got the strong message that they aren’t invincible.
What’s next: The Giants face the Minnesota Vikings in prime time next Sunday and must win to even make their season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles matter. Carolina finishes the season with games against NFC South opponents Atlanta and Tampa Bay as they try to become just the second team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season.
PHOTOS: Week 15 NFL action