Sunday, January 12 2014 (1:05 PM EST)

Bank of America Stadium, North Carolina, NC

Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver (sideline)

Point Spread: 49ers (1)

Over/Under: 41

Expected Game-Time Weather: 62 degrees, partly cloudy, six MPH winds from SE, possible rain

49ers Offense vs. Panthers Defense

This is going to be a slugfest between two of the best defenses in the NFL, but the 49ers have experience on their side and Colin Kaepernick who may struggle during the regular season, but just seems to flip the switch when he steps into the playoffs.

Many will point to the Panthers' defense shutting down Kaepernick in their last meeting, holding him to just 107 total yards and without a touchdown. Carolina will be getting their first taste of the playoffs and while they may have the best front-seven in football, the secondary can be picked on if you have time to throw.

A big difference-maker this time around for the 49ers will be the return of star wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who Kaepernick leaned heavily on last year. Crabtree has returned to the lineup and looked to be great shape last week in the wild card win over the Green Bay Packers, posting eight receptions for 125 yards.

His return also opens up the field for Anquan Boldin who can beat single coverage with his size and create some separation with his speed. But the key for the 49ers on Sunday will be establishing the run. It will be tough against the Panthers front, but San Francisco can't become one-dimensional and forget about Frank Gore.

Panthers Offense vs. 49ers Defense

After so many questions surrounding Cam Newton early in the season about his maturity and declining play, Newton responded to the critics and helped lead this team to the number two seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. The Panthers delivered against the best teams in football, with wins against San Francisco, New England and New Orleans. Now they have had an extra week of preparation and rest, and should be ready for a fight for a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

The Panthers' offense has been challenged at times this year, especially in the passing game where they rank 29th in the league with just 190 yards per game. This is a team that has two reliable weapons on offense with Steve Smith and Greg Olsen but still lacks the top options that great quarterbacks have. To make matters worse, Smith has been limited in practice all week and chances are slim that he will be able to suit up on Sunday. If Smith can't play, the 49ers will look to shut down Olsen with Patrick Willis or NaVorro Bowman and can use safety help if needed, even without Carlos Rogers. With Olsen shut down and Smith out, Newton will have to stay patient in the pocket and hope Brandon LaFell or Domenik Hixon can get open.

Carolina will look to get the running game rolling early just like the Packers did last week, which they found some success. DeAngelo Williams isn't the back he used to be, but he can still pick up chunks of yards and rip off some big plays when he finds a hole to run through. The player to watch though will be fullback Mike Tolbert who just powers through tacklers and has a nose for the end zone.  Tolbert can do it all and could be an X-Factor in deciding this game.

Key Matchups

Cam Newton vs. 49ers' Defense

Newton will be making his first ever playoff start and the stakes couldn't be higher for the star quarterback. Until this point he has been known for his record-setting rookie season and productive seasons two years since. There have been plenty of doubters, but a win on Sunday would push him into the conversation amongst the top-seven quarterbacks in the league. But stepping into the playoffs isn't easy and as we saw last week with Aaron Rodgers it's extremely difficult, even for the best quarterback in football. Newton faces the ultimate introduction test and his play will more than likely decide this game.

Frank Gore vs. Panthers' Defense

The 49ers will look to take some shots deep against the Panthers' secondary, but it will all start up front with the battle of the trenches. Greg Hardy has been dominant this season at defensive end and paired with Charles Johnson and Star Lotulelei, the trio have turned this into one of the best defensive lines in all of football. They will be squared up against a strong 49ers' offensive line with Joe Staley, Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, Whoever gets leverage in this game will decide how much success Gore has on the ground. Gore will likely see another 20-carry game especially early, but how much success he has will all come down to who wins the battle at the line of scrimmage.

Ted Ginn and Brandon LaFell vs. 49ers Secondary

Even if Smith is able to play in this one, he won't be near 100 percent and the 49ers shouldn't have much of a problem shutting him down. So this game will come down to the lesser names of the Panthers' wide receivers, with LaFell and Ted Ginn. LaFell has always shown flashes of brilliance, but struggles with inconsistency and drops. This will be a great opportunity for Ginn, taking in his former team with a chance to serve in a significant role and potentially knock his old team out of the playoffs. Both will be matched up against some physical corners who will jam them at the line and make them work short. But if Ginn can slip by and get open down the field, it may take just that one big play to decide this game.

Statistical Leaders

San Francisco 49ers

Colin Kaepernick: 58.4 completion, 3,197 passing yards, 524 rushing yards, 25 total touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 91.6 rating

Frank Gore: 4.1 average, 1,128 rushing yards and nine touchdowns

Kendall Hunter: 4.6 average, 358 rushing yards and three touchdowns

Anquan Boldin: 85 receptions, 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns

Vernon Davis: 52 receptions, 850 yards and 13 touchdowns

Michael Crabtree: 19 receptions, 284 yards and one touchdown

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton: 61.7 completion, 3,379 passing yards, 585 rushing yards, 30 total touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 88.8 rating

DeAngelo Williams: 4.2 average, 843 rushing yards and four total touchdowns

Mike Tolbert: 3.6 average, 361 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns

Jonathan Stewart: 3.8 average, 180 rushing yards and zero touchdowns

Greg Olsen: 73 receptions for 816 yards and six touchdowns

Steve Smith: 64 receptions, 749 yards and four touchdowns

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