Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly represent the heart and soul of the Carolina Panthers defense. No. 58 and No. 59 sprint sideline to sideline on nearly every play, racing each other to the ball. On every play, they are simultaneously engaged in their own private tackling competition and their very public attempt to keep the other team from scoring.
The Panthers’ two Pro Bowl linebackers face their toughest challenge of the season in the NFC Championship Game at 6:40 p.m. Sunday in Charlotte against Arizona. The Cardinals ranked as the No. 1 offense in the NFL in both total yards and yards per play this season.