Last meeting
Steve Smith caught two touchdown passes as the Panthers rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Cardinals on Oct. 9, 2005.
Streaks
The Panthers lead the all-time series, 4-2, and have won three consecutive games.
Last week
John Kasay hit a 53-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Panthers to a 16-13 victory. The Panthers moved into a first-place tie with Tampa Bay in the NFC South. ... Kurt Warner replaced injured starter Matt Leinart to lead the Cardinals to a 34-31 victory at St. Louis. The veteran rushed for a touchdown, threw a TD pass and directed another scoring drive for the Cardinals.
At stake
Both teams are tied for first place in their respective divisions, and it's never too early to think about potential playoff tie-breakers.
Key matchup:
Panthers QB David Carr vs. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner.
Both quarterbacks started the season as insurance policies and now are the full-time starters. Carr was signed as a free agent to back up Jake Delhomme, who will have season-ending surgery. Carr won his only career start against the Cardinals when he was a member of the Houston Texans. Warner, who was engaged in a successful quarterback platoon, takes over full-time duties now that Leinart has been placed on the IR. Warner is 4-1 with four touchdowns and a 102.3 passer rating against the Panthers.
Did you know?
Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has three sacks and three forced fumbles in four career games against the Cardinals. ... Cardinals running back Edgerrin James leads the NFC with 442 rushing yards.
