The Carolina Panthers are headed to the 2016 NFC Championship Game. They defeated the Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 31-24, in a game that ended up a lot closer than most people expected. The NFC title game features the Panthers hosting the Arizona Cardinals, with kickoff scheduled at approximately 3:30 p.m. PT on FOX next Sunday.
The Panthers were absolutely throttling the Seahawks early in this game. After getting on the board in a mere four plays to open the game, the Panthers quickly added a second touchdown on a Luke Kuechly pick-six. They continued pouring it on and were leading 31-0 at halftime. It was a laugher, and the crying MJ memes were rolling in.
The Seahawks finally managed a touchdown to open the third quarter, set up by a big kick return. They added another touchdown at the 7:40 mark in the third quarter, and the comeback seemed to be on. Things slowed considerably at that point, with both teams exchanging punts the rest of the quarter, and into the fourth quarter. The Seahawks added a touchdown at the 6:04 mark to make it a ten point ballgame.
The Panthers seemed ready to put this game away, getting a key fourth down conversion. They were unable to keep it going however, and eventually punted it back to the Seahawks. Seattle made quick progress down the field, but couldn't get into the end zone after the two minute warning. They settled for a field goal with 1:12 to go, but could not recover the ensuing onside kick. Phhhhheeewwww!