Defending Carolina ‘all starts with the run game’ for the Cardinals

TEMPE, Ariz. — Each week, no matter the opponent or the opposing quarterback, the goal of the Arizona Cardinals defense was the same: make the offense in front of them one-dimensional, and that always began with stopping the run.

That philosophy hasn’t changed this week, even as good as Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has been this season.

For the Cardinals to win Sunday’s NFC Championship Game and advance to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history, they need to limit the Panthers’ success on the ground.

“As much as you want to talk about the read-option, the option part of the offense, you all saw the first play against Seattle,” defensive coordinator James Bettcher said Thursday, referring to running back Jonathan Stewart’s 59-yard run to help set up Carolina’s first score. “It was a two-back play, it was a power (set). They’re going to run the ball downhill. They’re going to try to get movement at the line of scrimmage. It all starts with the run game.”

Led by Stewart, the Carolina rushing attack, which averaged 142.6 yards per game, ranked second in the NFL this season behind Buffalo.

“They feel like they can run the ball on anybody, and they have all year,” cornerback Jerraud Powers said. “If we don’t stop the run, they’re going to run it down our throats.”

Despite missing the final three games of the regular season with a foot injury, Stewart ran for 989 yards, the eighth-most in the league. His 242 attempts were a career-high and the seventh-most in the league, while his six touchdowns were his most since he scored 10 in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009.

For his efforts, Stewart, who had 19 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the Divisional Round, was named to his first-ever Pro Bowl.

“Stewart has had an unbelievable year. He’s a great running back in this league. The way he’s running the ball, his patience, the way he finds the crease, his speed, his acceleration, he’s playing at an All-Pro level,” defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “I don’t know how much credit he gets outside the media world, but when you watch film, he’s definitely the guy that’s the key to the offense. He creates some big things out of just a little bit. He doesn’t need much to get going. So we have our hands full trying to stop him.”

But it’s not just Stewart who has the attention of the Cardinals.

“They’ve got the big fullback in (Mike) Tolbert, who’s a great blocker, a great short yardage guy, but he can run the football, too,” head coach Bruce Arians said. “When you’re handing it to a guy like him, you’re not looking for 30 yards; you want five. Five real physical ones, and that’s what they do really, really well.”

Tolbert gained 256 yards on 62 carries this season.

Both he, Stewart and Newton, in addition to rookie Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whitaker, averaged better than four yards per attempt.

It helps running behind an offensive line that boasts Pro Bowlers at both center, Ryan Kalil, and right guard, Trai Turner.

Dating back to Week 6 of 2014 at Cincinnati, Carolina has put together 29 consecutive games — postseason included — with at least 100 rushing yards, the longest active streak in the NFL.

“Those guys thrive off that run game, so the next thing you know they’re going to play-action and take their shots.  That’s what we’re going to have to eliminate,” cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “We are going to have to stop the run first and foremost, because that is something that makes that offense go. That opens up everything else.”

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