CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -When Ken Lucas was called for a pivotal pass interference penalty late in Carolina's loss to the New York Giants in Week 16, it marked the first and only such penalty for the Panthers all season.
It also didn't take long for this often-repeated snide response from cynical fans and skeptical analysts: How can you be called for interference when you're never close to the receiver?
Carolina's much-maligned secondary better be in the vicinity of receivers Saturday when the Panthers (12-4) play their first playoff game in three years against pass-happy Arizona (10-7).
It'll be a rematch of an October game in Charlotte in which Kurt Warner threw for 381 yards. It was the most yards passing allowed by Carolina until the final week of the regular season, when Drew Brees of New Orleans torched the secondary for 386 yards.
The Panthers also allowed Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia to throw for 321 yards and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers 298.
But in what's defined the Panthers' turnaround season, they found a way to win all four games.
"We've won in every way imaginable this year, so we feel very confident going into the playoffs," safety Chris Harris said after the Saints' win.
As the Panthers enjoyed their third straight day away from the practice field Monday, defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac was preparing a game plan for the Cardinals' high-scoring offense that features numerous big-play threats and a cagey, accurate quarterback with a quick release.
Warner's big day in Carolina's 27-23 win on Oct. 26 began a trend that has seen the Panthers allow at least 22 points in seven of their last nine games.
With a former defensive coordinator as a head coach and a history of success on that side of the ball, John Fox's Panthers have become a team that plays high-scoring games. The Panthers have won games by scores of 31-22, 35-31, 38-23 and 33-31 in the second half of the season by riding breakout running back DeAngelo Williams and Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith.
Williams, who led the NFL with 20 touchdowns in the regular season, and Smith, who was third in the NFL with 1,421 yards receiving, may need monster games for Carolina to keep up Saturday.
The 37-year-old Warner threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns in Arizona's 30-24 home win over Atlanta on Saturday while the Panthers enjoyed a first-round bye.
Arizona's win featured a spectacular 42-yard touchdown catch in double-coverage by Larry Fitzgerald, the 6-foot-3 receiver who had seven catches for 115 yards against Carolina.
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