Rivera: LB Davis has surgery, expected to play in Super Bowl

Nate Silver’s model at FiveThirtyEight agrees. Although he was relegated to a cheerleader role for the remainder of Sunday’s game, Davis, who has battled back from three major knee injuries during his 11-year National Football League career, was elated to finally be having a chance to play on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Panthers also clamped down on Cardinals’ star receiver Larry Fitzgerald, holding him to four receptions (and two very uncharacteristic drops) for 30 yards. The only game that Silver’s model missed so far was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Wild Card win over the Cincinnati Bengals. But Arizona still had one more step to take before they can make it back to their first Super Bowl since the 2008 campaign, and they learned that in the most painful way possible against the Panthers. The Panthers responded with a Graham Gano field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead that they would not lose for the rest of the game.

Rivera, who won a Super Bowl with the 1985 Chicago Bears as a player, will try to join Tony Dungy, Tom Flores and Mike Ditka as former players to win as a head coach.

Is that the Lightening Bolt Cam Newton and the Panthers were doing on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium on January 24, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina?.

The win over the Cardinals may have been the most complete game played by the Panthers defense this season. Arizona’s defense may have lost some of its sting when Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu went down with a season-ending ACL tear last month.

Owen Daniels had earlier scored two touchdowns from Manning passes either side of Steven Jackson’s one-yard run to help Denver to a 17-9 half-time lead. In fact, Carolina began the year as high as 60-1 to win the Super Bowl. The Panthers will act as if the game was this Sunday. “I did what I always do”, Ginn said. Rivera says if everything goes well, it’s his understanding it’s something Davis can play with.

Many questioned when Panthers cornerback Robert McClain and Cortland Finnegan, both signed late in the season because of injuries to Bene Benwikere and Charles Tillman, would be able to keep up with Arizona’s dynamic receiving corps.

“This is as low as you can feel”, Palmer said in a hushed tone. “It’s a question you got to ask: Why not us?”

– Von Miller, Broncos, had a franchise playoff-record 2 1/2 sacks and an interception in Denver’s 20-18 victory over New England in the AFC championship game.

The Panthers intercepted Carson Palmer four times while they forced him to fumble twice, and also recovered a Patrick Peterson fumble on a punt return for a huge seven turnovers against Arizona.