Carolina Panthers: Kawann Short Says Win Over Seahawks ‘Sweeter’

Quarterback Cam Newton, who combined for just 164 total yards (161 passing, 3 rushing) and one touchdown on the day told ESPN after the game that “it was a tale of execution and that you have to find ways to get your groove back on”. On the flip side, Cam Newton and the Panthers (16-1) built a big enough lead where they were able to go scoreless over the last 30 minutes of the game and still emerge victorious.

Now first think, the Packers defense is clearly not as good as the Panthers and allowed the Cardinals to score 26 points, including the two insane pass plays in overtime that won the game for the Cardinals.

Wilson, who was sacked five times, made some big throws, particularly to Kearse, who had 11 catches for 110 yards.

The Panthers made all the right plays in building a 31-0 lead, then were dominated by the two-time defending NFC champs in the second half.

-Quarterback Russell Wilson took responsibility for Seattle’s miserable start. In the fourth quarter, with Panthers leading 31-24, all-pro linebacker Thomas Davis hauled in Steven Hauschka’s onside kick – and Panthers fans breathed a sigh of relief.

First game on January 24 will be the New England Patriots playing in Denver against the Broncos on 3:05 PM ET, followed by the Arizona Cardinals coming to play the Carolina Panthers on 6:40 PM ET. Lynch, finished with a career-low 417 yards and looked average during the Seahawks loss at Carolina Sunday in a NFC divisional playoff game.

All four road teams won in the first round of playoff games – Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Green Bay and Seattle. “We didn’t play as well as we needed to in the second half”. “Momentum. We can’t wait for no one to make plays for us”. On the bright side, Seattle has an off-season now to address some concerns on the offensive line, take pleasure in knowing it has some young running talent behind Lynch, and get itself hungry once again for an NFC playoff push and ultimately a Super Bowl run come next season.

If the Carolina Panthers win their first National Football League championship, they can credit the lesson they learned from the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The top-seeded Panthers, now 16-1, will prepare for the NFC championship game next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in Charlotte, while the Seahawks, who had designs on a third straight Super Bowl appearance, return to Seattle to contemplate what happened in the first half. The Panthers defeated the Seahawks 31-24.

It’s the fourth time this season the Panthers saw a big lead dwindle.

Yet as they eventually left Carolina and the 2015 season behind them, Russell Wilson and his fellow Seahawks kept their heads high.

“It was foreign territory for us”, tight end Luke Willson said. “We just have to be more consistent”.

He suffered a sprained left foot during Carolina’s 38-0 win over the Falcons on December 13 and sat out the final three games of the regular season. Out of the whole season, good chunks of Seattle’s games were spent losing in the first half, as they would make a comeback in the second half. The Seattle running game was so absent, that their longest gain came on a fake punt by cornerback DeShawn Shead (17 yards).

Wilson’s season ended sooner than the previous two, when the Seahawks played in consecutive Super Bowls.