CHARLOTTE — Carolina’s defense was outright dominant Saturday against Arizona’s struggling offense. It was record setting in fact.

The Panthers, who defeated the Cardinals, 27-16, gave up just 78 total net yards. It was the fewest yards allowed in a playoff game in NFL history. The previous record stood since Dec. 21, 1958, when the New York Giants allowed Cleveland just 86 yards.

“Our guys played really well,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “It’s an opportunity to build off of, but, again, they are in a tough set of circumstances.”

Arizona came into the game with Ryan Lindley as the starting quarterback. Lindley, taking the place of injured Drew Stanton, passed for 82 yards, but he was sacked four times for minus-31 yards. Charles Johnson had two of those takedowns.

Carolina found a way to pressure Lindley by mixing blitzes and dropping into coverage.  

“It’s a little bit of both,” Kuechly said. “Sometimes you blitz and sometimes you are dropping back and sometimes you are just showing something, so you try to mix looks up so people don’t get too much of a beat on us.”

Kuechly was his usual self. He had 10 tackles, but it was his play in pass coverage that made the biggest difference. With Carolina ahead 27-14 in the fourth quarter, Arizona recovered what a review confirmed was a Cam Newton fumble and returned it all the way to the Panthers’ 8-yard line. 

On the next play, Lindley threw right for Larry Fitzgerald. Kuechly picked off the pass. The momentum swung back in favor of Carolina.

“It’s a pass we rep a lot in practice, and I was able to see it, and I think what really led to the interception was the guys up front who pushed the pocket. I don’t think the quarterback was able to see me, and he just threw it right to me.”

It was one of many plays by the defense that got the stadium rocking and sealed the Panthers’ spot in the next round of the playoffs.

“You’ve got to have great defense to get to the playoffs, right?” cornerback Josh Norman said. “Defenses win championships. So we are going to take our opportunities. We are going to do our best and do our due diligence. We are going to come out each and every week and give our best effort.”

Bersin’s adventures at punt returner

Brenton Bersin gave the Cardinals a gift when he muffed a punt in the first quarter.

With Carolina leading 10-0, Cardinals punter Drew Butler sent the ball down the middle of the field. It bounced right at Bersin, who was on his knees at the Carolina 30-yard line, as he tried to field the ball like an outfielder stopping a slow roller in the grass. 

The loose ball was recovered by Arizona’s Justin Bethel. It was a 33-yard gift from the Panthers’ special teams to the Cardinals’ struggling offense. Arizona turned that into its first touchdown of the game.

“That was a mistake,” Rivera said. “He was trying to be a backstop to prevent the ball from going like it did the second time. We all knew that. At that point, let the ball roll. He understands that. He learned a lesson.”

That wasn’t the only time fielding punts was an issue. Bersin also had one bounce around in his hands in the second half at the Arizona 39, after running to snag it and waving his arms for a fair catch. It was touch-and-go, but he was able to hang on to the ball.

Fozzy Whittaker took a short pass from Newton to the house on the next play.

Brown leaves with injury

The emergence of Philly Brown in the receiving corps has been one of the reasons’ for the Panthers success lately.

Just before halftime, Brown landed awkwardly on his left shoulder on a throw from Newton into the right side of the end zone. Brown was on the ground for a few minutes. He went straight to the locker room for treatment and did not return.

“We will see how it is,” Rivera said. “They took him in for an X-ray. I haven’t talked to (Ryan Vermillion) afterwards. There is a little bit of concern.”

Brown caught three passes for 37 yards.