Pete Carroll Show: Slow start vs Carolina a microcosm for Seahawks’ season

“We wanted to leave it out there for each other”. Who’s going to get it? The Seahawks then pulled off an improbable 10-9 road win over the Vikings in frigid conditions before almost erasing a 31-point deficit Sunday at Carolina. 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. They were being manhandled by the Carolina Panthers and despite a valiant effort in the second half, the Seahawks just were not able to come away with the win.

Jonathan Stewart, returning from a foot injury, scored two touchdowns after jumpstarting the Panthers with a 59-yard sprint on their first play en route to a 106-yard rushing day.

“We’ll figure it out”, Carroll said. “I thought he was phenomenal”, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Wilson’s second half. The Panthers averaged more than 31 points this season and the Cardinals were a close second at 30.5.

The Carolina Panthers look for their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2003 season. Before their win over the Seahawks, the Panthers recorded a wild-card win over Arizona last season, a wild-card win over Dallas in their march to the 2004 Super Bowl and another wild-card win over the Cowboys in 1996, the team’s second year in existence.

“We prepared too much to get nervous”, Newton said.

All year it appeared that Seattle had an injury-plagued performance that took a toll on Seattle’s season. Left tackle Russell Okung, right guard J.R. Sweezy and Kearse are three offensive starters facing free agency. Combined, the five final drives for Carolina only gained 75 total second half yards.

NOTES: The Panthers entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the conference for the first time.

“I wonder why I’m not on the hands team”, Newton said, referring to the unit that is put on the field in on-side kick situations. “Let’s be clear”, commented Peyton Manning in a post-game interview this past Sunday.

Now they’ll host the NFC championship game for the first time in franchise history. DeMarcus Ware will also go recognized for his excellent job pressuring the Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to kill his attempt to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Lynch, who finished with 20 yards in six carries, was hit for a 3-yard loss on his first touch, then turned around late for Wilson’s pass over the middle under pressure from Kawann Short, and the ball went straight to Kuechly for a 14-yard interception return for a TD and 14-0 lead.

“We’re nearly out of everything so next week, we’re definitely going to have to order more”, Manager Joe Arocho said.

The Broncos (13-4) will host Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (13-4) next weekend. Pittsburgh’s defence finished the season playing at a much higher level than what they were playing at earlier in the season. “Having him on the football field healthy and ready to roll is a big plus for us”.