Soon, the Cardinals will know if they will play in Super Bowl 50. Not that they are looking at this game — Sunday night, NFC Championship, in Carolina — along those lines.

"You can't get the Lombardi without winning the Halas," Larry Fitzgerald said.

The veteran receiver knows how it works. He's reminded of it all the time when he walks through the lobby of the team's Tempe complex and sees the Halas Trophy from the 2008 season displayed. That trophy signifies the key to what was a marvelous two weeks back then, an ending that wasn't derailed until the last minute. (We won't go into that now.)

But those two weeks are a crucial point. The Super Bowl seems so far away, both in time and as a journey. Traveling to Carolina comes first — that's Saturday morning when the Cards leave — and then a game.

I believe the Cardinals are mentally in the right place for this game. A lot can happen in the game itself. I expect a close game. And the Cardinals can try and close in on an NFC title. After that, there will be plenty of time to talk about what's next.

-- It's hard to get past the feeling that a turnover or two will decide this. These two teams are the ones who have forced the most turnovers in the league (39 for the Panthers, 33 for the Cardinals).

-- The most glaring issue on offense in the Cards' last two games was how the offensive line/protection/blocking got off to slow starts. Something to watch for in the first quarter Sunday night. The Panthers have a helluva front seven. The Cards have to hold up.

-- During the Biggest Red Rage Thursday night, cornerback Patrick Peterson said he's actually down to 199 pounds, a far cry from the listed 219 he played at last season, and down a few from the beginning of the season. He said he could still hang with tight end Greg Olsen if needed, though.

-- I'm interested to see if they indeed would put Peterson on Olsen at any point.

-- Will weather be a factor? I don't think it will, as long as the forecast doesn't change. It might be cold — it'll dip to near freezing during the game — but Fitzgerald was telling me a couple of weeks ago before the Seattle-Minnesota freezefest that it's actually not bad for players. Heaters on the sidelines, in the mat the players stand on, big coats. It may be chilly when a drive starts, but that changes quickly as the plays mount.

-- For the record, three coldest games (by kickoff temperature) the Cardinals have played this season: 37 degrees at Philadelphia, 45 degrees at Pittsburgh, 49 degrees at Seattle. The Panthers were 41 degrees at NY Giants, 43 degrees at home against Seattle in the playoffs, and 50 degrees home against Washington.

It is supposed to be about 37 degrees and clear at kickoff for the NFC Championship.

-- Arians, asked how valid it was that players will listen to players more than they listen to coaches.

"I don't think there's any doubt about it," Arians said with a smile. "If I want to get a message to Carson, I tell Drew (Stanton), you know."

-- Not only is Fitzgerald the only player (minimum three postseason games) to average 100 yards and a touchdown in his postseason career, he could go catchless Sunday and he would still average 100/1. Right now, Fitzgerald has 912 yards and 10 touchdowns in only eight postseason games.

-- Fitzgerald, by the way, was fined $23,152 for his illegal crackback block against the Packers last week.

-- Ring of Honor member and former safety Adrian Wilson, now working in the Cardinals' personnel department as a scout (and famously celebrating with Fitzgerald after his touchdown last week) is the Cardinals' honorary captain for the game Sunday.

-- If you want to see the Cardinals off Saturday, there is a rally at the airport starting at 10 a.m. Click here for the details.

-- Defensive tackle Calais Campbell was a rookie in 2008, when the Cardinals went to Carolina to play in the Divisional round and were viewed, as Fitzgerald put it, as "roadkill." That was the day the defense ruined Jake Delhomme for good, and because of a turn of events, earned a chance to host the NFC Championship game against the Eagles.

Campbell was a backup fill-in then. Now, he's a Pro Bowl star trying to lead the defense. Yet, as he considered things, he's not sure things on a fundamental level, are much different.

"Back then you just didn't want to mess up," Campbell said. "You just wanted to do your job. It's still kind of the same case. The biggest thing is just doing your job. Making it just another game of football. It is just one game. You can't go out there and try to do too much more than your job.

"As a captain and a leader of the team, I want to make sure that I work with the younger guys. Make sure they're focused and they're disciplined, and they can realize that it just takes doing your job. You don't have to do anything extra.  Just do what you've been doing all year. Do what got us here."

The Cardinals are 14-3 after all. Maybe Campbell once again will be able to celebrate in a drizzle on the Panthers' home field. Maybe he and his teammates will bring home that Halas Trophy.

See you in Carolina.