Seahawks pull away from Panthers to return to NFC championship

The Seattle Seahawks used a 17-point fourth quarter to build a margin and hold off the Carolina Panthers, coming away with a 31-17 victory.

The Seahawks will host the winner of Sunday's early game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game next weekend.

The Panthers outgained the Seahawks 362-348, but the Panthers turned the ball over three times in the contest, including a dagger of a pick-6 from Kam Chancellor late in the fourth quarter. Chancellor has made an interception in three consecutive postseason games.

Each of the turnovers was committed by Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who falls to 1-2 in his postseason career.

Entering the day, no defending Super Bowl champion had won a postseason game the following season since the 2005 New England Patriots did with a 28-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Top Performers

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
268 passing yards, 3 TDs, 22 rushing yards
Wilson's numbers may not jump off the page, but he continues to do everything right for the Seahawks, consistently putting the team in a position to win.

Kam Chancellor, S, Seahawks
11 total tackles, INT, TD
If there was a stat for jumping over the offensive line, he would have led in that category too. More on that later.

Turning Point

It wasn't quite Beast Quake 3.0, but Marshawn Lynch broke off a 25-yard run in the third quarter to flip the field, wake up a stagnant Seahawks offense, and get the Seattle bench fired up, spurring a 17-0 run.

Must-See Moments

One-handed

Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse is one of the Seattle pass-catchers that's been thrust into a bigger role with the departure of Percy Harvin. He came up with a big play on this 63-yard touchdown strike - the longest passing touchdown in Seahawks postseason history.

Up and over

Jumping over the offensive line on a field goal attempt is amateur hour for Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor, who did it on consecutive plays (unfortunately, both were negated by penalties).

Out of my way

When Panthers quarterback Cam Newton gets going, he really gets going. It doesn't matter who's in his way. Tight end and teammate Greg Olsen learned that the hard way.

Up Next

As the top seed in the NFC, the Seahawks won't have to leave CenturyLink Field next week. They will play host in the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season. The team has won eight consecutive home playoff games and are tied for the fourth-longest streak of all-time.

The team's potential opponents both made the trip out to Seattle this season. The Packers fell by a score of 36-16 in Week 1, but the Cowboys handed the Seahawks their only home loss of the season in Week 6 in a 30-23 decision.