Monday 25 January 2016 15:28, UK
Cam Newton ran for two touchdowns and threw two more to power the Carolina Panthers into Super Bowl 50 with a 49-15 dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Panthers will face the Denver Broncos in San Francisco in two weeks in only their second Super Bowl after the Broncos edged out the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Newton, who led Carolina to a 15-1 regular season record, was going up against fellow Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 335 yards as the Panthers set a scoring record for the NFC final, capitalising on seven turnovers by the Cardinals.
They opened the scoring on a Graham Gano 41-yard field goal before Ted Ginn danced through the tacklers and raced in from 22 yards to put them 10-0 with less than five minutes of the first quarter to play.
That then became 17-0 when Newton connected with Corey Brown on an 86-yard touchdown pass - the longest pass play in Carolina play-off history - before Palmer finally got Arizona on the board by leading them down the field in a 10-play, 79-yard drive to set up David Johnson's one-yard touchdown run.
But their hopes of seizing momentum were undone when Patrick Peterson fumbled a punt return to hand the Panthers the ball at midfield and Newton took advantage, diving over the pile from a yard to make it 24-7.
A second fumble on Arizona's very next play then gave Carolina possession at the Cards' 31-yard line, only for Peterson to intercept Newton and run the ball back 72 yards.
His efforts were in vain though as Palmer's shaky day continued with his first interception to Kurt Coleman on the very next play.
The Panthers then extended their lead in the second half on a Gano field goal and Newton's second rushing touchdown - this one from 12 yards - to make it 34-7, and although Palmer connected with Darren Fells on a 21-yard toss 44 seconds into the fourth quarter, he was picked off again by Coleman to dash any hope of an unlikely comeback.
Newton then flipped a five-yard touchdown pass to Devin Funchess and connected on a two-point conversion throw for a 42-15 lead, leaving Luke Kuechly to put the gloss on a dominant display by returning another Palmer interception 21 yards for the final score.
