Cardinals vs Panthers: A Budding Rivalry

The Cardinals don't have a lot of big rivals.  They've been so bad historically that noone ever held them in high enough esteem to be considered rivals.  Sure, we have the NFC West, and there is definitely a rivalry with San Fransisco, but usually there aren't 2 good teams in this division, so the "rivalries" aren't as interesting as say Packers/Vikings or Eagles/Cowboys.  However I think that since Carolina's playoff loss to the birds last season, there is definitely some beef between these 2 teams.  Here's the recent history of the Cardinals/Panthers rivaly, which Carolina is winning 5-3.

The First Game: (Cards 0, Panther 1)

The Panthers were a new expansion team, the cardinals were awful, finishing the year 4-12.  'Nuff said.

1995 Week 12, @Carolina (27-7)

The Jake Plummer Era: (3-1)

After a long gap, the 2 teams started playing each other more regularly, playing every year since 2001 except for in '06.  in 01-02, Jake the Snake's time at the helm was coming to a close, and neither team was very good: the Cards won 12 games but the Panthers took only 8 W's over that 2 year stretch.  Both of these games are in carolina, and both of them go to the cards.
 

• 2001 Week 16, @Carolina (30-7)
• 2002 Week 5, @Carolina (16-13)

The Other Jake's Era: (3-4)

2003 was a great year to be a Panthers fan.  Newly acquired QB Jake Delhomme takes over at halftime in the first game of the season with a 17-0 defecit, and leads the team to a big comeback win, 24-23.  Delhomme then proceeds to beat up on 12 more teams that year (including the Cards) on their way to the superbowl, which they lost to New England.  Jake and Steve Smith took 3 more wins over the Cards over the next 4 years, which leads up to the 2008 season.

• 2003 Week 15, @Arizona (20-17)
• 2004 Week 11, @Carolina (10-35)
• 2005 Week 5, @Arizona (24-20)
• 2007 Week 6, @Arizona (25-10)

The Kurt Warner Era:  (4-5)

Week 8.  Cards are 4-2, Panthers are 5-2.  The teams match up well.  Warner throws 380-something yards and the cards, in a classic fashion, blow a big first half lead by turning the ball over.  The cards have a chance to win with over a minute left;  but they can't stop DeAngelo Williams on 3-13, who runs a draw for 15 yards and the game.  Very humbling game.  So humbling in fact that Carolina then takes it for granted that Arizona, the "Worst Playoff Team Ever" will just lay down and die in the playoffs.  We all know how that ended, with the Cardinals stomping Carolina in the Divisional playoffs on the road to the superbowl.

• 2008 Week 8, @Carolina (23-27)
• 2008 Divisional Playoffs, @Carolina (33-13)

2009 Week 8, @Arizona: (?-?)
So it comes to this.  The Cardinals have a chance to even the score with a big win at home over a faltering Panthers teams with a QB who looks like he could use a vacation.  My boy Simmons has a great preview of this game right over here, so go check that out.  My prediction is Cards win this one on turnovers and solid defense, 31-13, but they need to make sure they don't underrate this Panthers team.  As we learned from week 1, you need to be ready when you're going up against a rival.