After his second pass of the game was returned by linebacker Luke Kuechly for a touchdown, Wilson finished 31 of 48 for 366 yards with two interceptions and three second-half touchdown throws.
Advertisement
The Seahawks (11-7) scored touchdowns on their first two series of the third quarter, and Wilson tossed three second-half touchdowns as the two-time defending NFC champs made a game of it.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Four games into his playoff career, Cam Newton recognizes the key element to success.
Cam Newton is changing that perception in his fifth season. Home cooking: The Panthers have won a league-best 12 consecutive games at home, including last year’s 27-16 victory over the Cardinals in the playoffs.
For Carolina, this is their fourth time to play in the NFC Championship game.
It means the top two seeds in both conferences will face off. Arizona travels to Carolina, while New England will head to Denver for the conference championship games. “You can not give up touchdowns when you play against teams like that”. “We are very excited and glad the NFC championship with be played here”. “I mean, that’s all we’re going to take out of this”.
The growth of Carolina’s offense has been a slow, steady journey.
Carolina coach Ron Rivera echoed those remarks.
Still, most of America conveniently ignored the fact that the Panthers had been the better football team all year long, with the better quarterback and the better defense.
Our friends over at BookMaker have hooked us up with the early odds that see Carolina open as the favorites immediately after the NFC title game opponent was announced by three points.
“I’m extremely optimistic about what’s to come”, Wilson said. But they figure to be without defensive end Jared Allen, who according to NFL.com suffered a fractured foot Sunday.
Many fans reacted to Newton’s actions on social media. The Panthers averaged more than 31 points this season and the Cardinals were a close second at 30.5.
He did just that, and the Panthers escaped with a 38-35 win. But after the game, Sherman said they’re a young team, and they’ll be back. “We always feel like we’re in control because he is our quarterback”.
Wilson would come back with a ferocious second half but, as linebacker Bruce Irvin said: “We dug ourselves too big a hole”.
“We made a mess of it in the first half”, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. Nothing else needs to be done or said.
“When you come out, a lot of teams don’t understand the intensity that we play with, the toughness that we have as a group”, Cotchery said. By the time Newton found Greg Olsen for a 19-yard touchdown against two defenders with 6:26 left in the second quarter, Carolina had more points (31) than Seattle had total yards (17).
The Panthers have won 12 straight games at home.
This year, Newton is healthy – and producing. “Every guy in this locker room thought we were going to win this game”.
Advertisement
The “public” teams are out of the playoffs so it will be interesting where the bettors take this line.
