Seahawks Rip Panthers to Advance to NFC Championship
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Scott Boehm/Getty Images(SEATTLE) — Russell Wilson throws for 268 yards and three touchdowns to lead the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks past the No. 4 seed Carolina Panthers 31-17 Saturday in their NFC divisional playoff game.
The game was tight at first. Nobody scored until 56 seconds were remaining in the first quarter when Doug Baldwin caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Wilson. Carolina answered back on their next drive when Cam Newton led the team on a 79-yard drive ending with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin.
Seattle would score a touchdown on their next drive, but Carolina’s Graham Gano kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired sending the Panthers into the half down four.
The third quarter was a defensive battle with neither team scoring. Seattle erupted in the fourth quarter for 17 unanswered points, the final seven coming off a Kam Chancellor 90-yard pick-six to seal the game.
Newton completed 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.
Seattle becomes the first team since since New England in January 2006 to win a playoff game the year after winning a Super Bowl.
Seattle will take on the winner of Sunday’s playoff matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers next weekend in the NFC Championship game.
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