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Super Bowl champions Seattle moved a step closer to a return to the NFL’s title game on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) with a 31-17 playoff win over the Carolina Panthers.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes and defender Kam Chancellor returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Seahawks pulled away.
With the victory, the Seahawks advanced to the National Football Conference title game.
They’re the first reigning Super Bowl champions to win a playoff game the next season since the 2005 New England Patriots.
They will host the winner of the NFC second-round clash between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.
Wilson completed 15 of 22 passing attempts for 268 yards and added 22 yards on the ground as the Seahawks won their eight straight post-season game in front of their frenzied fans in Seattle.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton completed 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Chancellor was the star of another dominant defensive display by the Seahawks.
His determination was evident in the first half when he twice leapt over his own defensive line in what ultimately proved a futile bid to thwart a Carolina field goal.
But he was a game-changer in the final period.
With the Panthers trying to whittle down a 21-10 deficit, Chancellor stepped in front of a Newton pass intended for tight end Ed Dickson and rumbled 90 yards for a Seahawks touchdown.
Newton had first looked for receiver Brenton Bersin, and by the time he opted to throw to Dickson, Chancellor had read the play and made his move.
“It felt awesome,” Chancellor said. “It felt like preparation, it felt like everything I worked all week for.
“That was my first return for my career, and it felt good,” added Chancellor, who also had 10 tackles.
“I don’t know if a strong safety can have a stronger game than Kam Chancellor did tonight,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said.
In Boston, a milestone performance from quarterback Tom Brady lifted the New England Patriots to a 35-31 come-from-behind victory over Baltimore.
Brady threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns, the last a go-ahead 23-yard strike to Brandon LaFell with five minutes remaining, sealing the victory in the American Football Conference second-round game.
The throw gave the Patriots their first lead of the game, and with it Brady passed Joe Montana for the most post-season touchdown passes. It was his 46th.
“It’s pretty special,” said Brady, who was a fan of Montana and the San Francisco 49ers growing up.
Brady had tied Montana’s mark with a five-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski in the third quarter.
Brady’s yardage total and 33 completions in 50 passing attempts both broke his own club records for a playoff game.
The three-time Super Bowl winner also ran for a touchdown, a four-yard dash in the opening quarter.
The top-seeded Patriots advanced to their fourth straight AFC Championship game, where they’ll face the winner of Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) Indianapolis-Denver clash for a berth in the Super Bowl.
AFP wd
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