Charlotte, North Carolina: The Carolina Panthers progressed to a Super Bowl 50 date with the Broncos thanks to a 49-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, in an NFC Championship Game that barely looked like a game between the league's top two scoring offenses.

The Panthers rolled from start to finish, preventing the kind of second-half letdowns that almost derailed them a week ago against the Seahawks and so many times during the regular season.

Cam Newton threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for two more scores to pace an offense that never stalled.

Panthers never allowed Palmer to take advantage of a secondary that was strapped by injuries, with a pair of cornerbacks who were out of the league in October. But instead of taking advantage, Palmer was the one who looked jaded, turning it over six times.

The Panthers made mistakes from beginning to finish, but this was something actively taken away by the Panthers instead of gifted. For all the plays as large as Newton's touchdown, there were many smaller ones along the way which shined a light on the way this Panthers team has played all year.

When Newton threw an interception, Ted Ginn spotted Panthers cornerback Patrick Peterson a 10-yard head start, but forestalled a pick-six by chasing him down from behind. That play allowed Palmer to throw a momentum-killing interception.