Rivera’s Got the Recipe

“Intercepted by…!!!”

“Palmer with another pick…!!!”

“Another turnover by the Cardinals…!!!”

It would not be fair to say the Arizona Cardinals are a bad team. You do not make it all the way to the NFC Championship game, one contest away from the biggest game in football, by being a terrible team. Bruce Arians and the Cardinals did an excellent job on closing out close games throughout the season and proved they had the means for a championship team. With veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald, breakout running back David Johnson and a pressure secondary including Tyrann Mathieu before his ACL injury and a versatile Patrick Peterson, there was never a doubt this team was not able to compete on a postseason level.

However, if you saw any of the NFC Championship against the Carolina Panthers last night, you would have thought there was some kind of mistake after looking at the final score of 49-15. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were searching for synonyms for the word turnover all night. Audiences around the country cringed as quarterback Carson Palmer threw not one, not two, not three, but four total interceptions on the night. It was arguably the worst performance of his career, on the biggest stage of the season. But can fans blame Palmer? Are the Panthers just too damn good of a team? Can they be compared as the NFL equivalent to the Golden State Warriors? It’s safe to say with a 17-1 record and only one game left to go, it’s a fair comparison.

“Defense wins championships.”  It was not just the interceptions for Palmer that caused their offense to come up short. Receiver Michael Floyd dropped key passes on 2nd down while Fitzgerald surprisingly had two drops on two consecutive drives. The Cardinals receivers looked like little kids being scared on Halloween by monsters and ghosts due to the Panthers secondary. Johnson’s longest run of the night was for 23 yards but the defensive line led by Thomas Davis, Kawann Short and Luke Kuechly brought pressure on every single snap. The Panthers defensive simply instilled fear in the Cardinals and it seemed like they never faced this type of pressure before. What else can you expect from a team with a defensive minded coach?

Take a look at Ron Rivera, former Cal Bears and Chicago Bears All-American linebacker. Since 1997, Rivera has worked his way up from a defensive quality control coach all the way to head coach of the winningest team in the league. His defense has brought pressure to different forms of offenses all season. Looking at the way the Panthers react on three and outs, interceptions, forced fumbles and huge plays, the defense always runs to the bench in celebration for their performance. However, when the camera cuts to Rivera, there’s a calm, serious demeanor about him. The guy is about business and he stays as dormant as possible while his guys get riled up on every play.

I’ve always been one to say opposites attract; it’s just the way physics works. There have been many writers who have issues with quarterback CamNewton’s celebrating after touchdowns and on the sidelines with his teammates. I do not blame Newton for smiling really wide, handing off football’s to kids after scoring touchdowns, his superman stretch combined with dabbing or jumping up with his body with teammates. It just means he is having fun. This team led by Newton is electrifying. Even after Rivera was chased with a gatorade bath, he cracked a small smirk and it was right back to business, regardless of his team being up  by 30 and on their way to the Super Bowl. With the mixture of electrifying attitudes and performances on the field and the tranquil, serene body language of their head coach, the Panthers have a recipe. Keep your team excited and ready to compete, all while being the level-headed coach who does not take losses for an answer.