Everything went right in the first half for the Carolina Panthers, who raced to a big lead and held off a furious second-half comeback attempt to defeat the Seattle Seahawks 31-24 and advance to the NFC Championship Game.
Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart set the tone on the first play of the game, ripping off a 59-yard run, and punched in a short touchdown to cap a strong opening drive in front of a boisterous crowd at Bank of America Stadium.
The Panthers rode that early momentum throughout the first frame, building a 31-0 halftime lead.
Everything was clicking on both sides of the ball for the Panthers, who intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson twice (including once for a touchdown).
The second half was a different story. The Seahawks did all the scoring, but could only get within one score of the Panthers before time expired.
Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis snagged an onside kick attempt with just over a minute remaining, officially ending the Seahawks' attempt at a historic comeback.
Wilson finished with 366 yards passing and three touchdowns to Cam Newton's 161 yards and one score, but the Panthers were the better team in most other facets.
Next up for the Panthers is a home date with the NFC's second-seeded Arizona Cardinals.
