The San Francisco 49ers know what it takes to be successful in the postseason after making it to the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. They will be attempting their to get to their third-straight NFC championship game and eighth straight postseason victory when they face the NFC South division champs, Carolina Panthers. Looking to keep their impressive breakout season alive, the Panthers will bank on home field advantage for the win.
Quarterback Cam Newton will try and lead the inconsistent Panthers offense which has been held to just 17 points or fewer in the past two of four games. In the team's final two games of the season, he completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 330 yards and three scores, but also threw two interceptions.
Wide receiver Steve Smith could be crucial in this matchup, if he is healthy. Smith has been out after injuring his knee. In the team's first matchup with the 49ers, Smith put up 63 yards off six passes. While he has spent most of the regular season very quiet, he does have six touchdowns in seven postseason games.
Carolina's defense could be the biggest factor in the matchup as they rank second in the NFL allowing opponents just 301.2 yards of total offense. They lead the league with 60 sacks total on the year. While containing Colin Kaepernick, they must also worry about Frank Gore who was held to just 66 yards last week, but still scored a touchdown.
The first matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the 49ers did not exactly go well for Kaepernick. He had one of his worst outings of his career, throwing for just 91 yards and an interception. He as also sacked six times as San Francisco lost to the Panthers. The quarterback certainly found his form against the Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round, throwing for 227 yards while running for another 98. However, it is the Panthers that seem to have his number and hope to contain him one more time.
Already in his young career, quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a veteran when it comes to postseason play. Fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers aim to keep their playoff success alive and well, but this NFC Divisional matchup could make it tough. The Carolina Panthers are ready to continue their impressive turnaround season alive as they make their postseason debut.