The Panthers survived another scare on Sunday, winning 38-35 against the Giants after blowing a 35-7 lead and allowing the Giants to tie the game in the fourth quarter. That leaves the Panthers with two games left, against floundering division rivals in the Falcons and Buccaneers.
News far away from Carolina should give Panthers fans grand aspirations for the playoffs too. During the Sunday Night Football game Cardinals CB Tyrann Mathieu, arguably their most important player, tore his right ACL and has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
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Mathieu has been a lynchpin for the Cardinals’ fourth-ranked defense, toggling between cornerback, safety, and even linebacker as needed. He tore his left ACL in 2013, ending his candidacy for Defensive Rookie of the Year. This is the second consecutive season a devastating knee injury will hinder Arizona in the playoffs; last season QB Carson Palmer was lost to the same injury. Mathieu had five interceptions, one touchdown, and 89 tackles this year.
The Panthers’ odds of running the regular season table should have increased dramatically, but the injury helped the Patriots more than Carolina per Vegas oddsmakers. Carolina’s odds dropped from +350 to +400 on OddsShark, while the Patriots’ odds increased to +333 from +375. That suggests that Las Vegas viewed the Cardinals as the real threat in the NFC, and the team with the better chance of actually knocking off the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
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Don’t be surprised when the Panthers use that as motivation on their quest to go 19-0.
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