Panthers: We needed to keep foot on the gas vs. Seahawks

The Carolina Panthers were able to hold off a furious comeback by the Seattle Seahawks to win 31-24 in yesterday’s NFC Divisional Round matchup. Their season is over and the Panthers are favored to make it to the Super Bowl. “No matter how good you play in the first half, the second half is just as important”.

The Packers had forced overtime with a touchdown on their final drive during regulation thanks to another “Aaron Rodgers Special”, but after winning the toss for possession, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer kept his cool to lead his team to the crucial touchdown score. “But the experience I have, I’ve learned from a lot of opportunities and situations”.

“You’ve got to grind throughout the entire year”.

“In the NFC, it’ll be Cam Newton leading his team against the Cardinals and standout receiver Larry Fitzgerald”.

“We just screwed it up at the start of the season, we screwed it up at the start of the game”, he said on the season’s final edition of “The Pete Carroll Show,” referencing the loss to the Panthers.

“Down in the fourth quarter, (we got a) great play by our defence”.

After the Panthers did their best to milk the clock, Seattle got the ball back with less than three minutes remaining but, despite threatening to trim the deficit to three, were left to settle for a field goal from Hauschka, who was then tasked with pulling off a successful onside kick.

The Panthers’ and Cardinals’ sole Super Bowl appearances have been in Super Bowl XXXVIII (38) and Super Bowl XLIII (43) respectively.

-Running back Jonathan Stewart had his ankle rolled up on in the first half of Sunday’s win, but he later returned to finish the game.

In Massachusetts, Tom Brady led New England to their fifth consecutive AFC title game, as the Patriots sealed a 27-20 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.

And with that, we know what the conference championship games will look like.

“The playoffs bring out more than any other time the impact of ‘Big Mo, ‘” Newton said after Carolina (16-1) moved into NFC title game, which they will host next Sunday against Arizona (13-3).

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said they made a mistake on that one.

Carroll said his only regret is that they didn’t convert the fourth down. Headed into the season, it really looked as though they had a fighting chance to make it back to a third and on top of that, it looked like they would be rematching the New England Patriots, who they played last season, according to ESPN. “I think you knew that answer was coming”, Manning said.