Player Rankings and Projections
Carolina Panthers Rank  Player Projections QB 8 Cam Newton Pass: 185, 1 TD Rush: 30, 0 RB 7 Jonathan Stewart Rush: 70, 0 TD Rec: 2-15, 0 RB 14 DeAngelo Williams Rush: 15, 0 TD Rec: 1-5, 0 RB 19 Mike Tolbert Rush: 5, 0 TD Rec: 1-5, 0 WR 11 Kelvin Benjamin Rec: 4-50, 0 TD WR 21 Jerricho Cotchery Rec: 2-25, 0 TD WR 23 Philly Brown Rec: 1-10, 0 TD TE 2 Greg Olsen Rec: 6-60, 1 TD K 8 Graham Gano FG: 1/1 XP: 1/1 DEF 5 Defense / ST		Seattle Seahawks Rank  Player Projections QB 6 Russell Wilson Pass: 220, 1 TD Rush: 45, 0 RB 2 Marshawn Lynch Rush: 85, 1 TD Rec: 2-15, 0 RB 13 Robert Turbin Rush: 10, 0 TD Rec: 1-5, 0 RB 16 Christine Michael Rush: 10, 0 TD Rec: 0-0, 0 WR 9 Doug Baldwin Rec: 4-65, 1 TD WR 22 Jermaine Kearse Rec: 2-25, 0 TD WR 25 Paul Richardson Rec: 1-10, 0 TD TE 9 Luke Willson Rec: 3-30, 0 TD TE 11 Tony Moeaki Rec: 1-10, 0 TD K 1 Steve Hauschka FG: 3/3 XP: 2/2 DEF 1 Defense / ST

Panthers Incl. WC, have won 5 games in row, outscoring opp. 138-59. Set NFL postseason record allowing 78 total net yards last week. Won division for 5th time (1996, 2003, 2008, 2013) & are repeat champions for 1st time. Head coach RON RIVERA has won division in 2 of 4 seasons with Car... Panthers had 2 players selected to Pro Bowl: LB Luke Kuechly (2nd) & TE Greg Olsen (1st)... QB Cam Newton had 3,127 pass yards & 539 rush yards. Is only player in NFL history to start career with 4 consecutive seasons with 3,000+ pass yards & 500+ rush yards. Recorded 1st career playoff win last week... Offense was 2nd in NFL in Dec. averaging 199.3 rush yards per game. Rushed for 188 yards in WC... RB Jonathan Stewart has rushed for 524 yards (104.8 per game) since Dec. 1 (incl. playoffs), most in NFL. Rushed for 123 yards & TD last week. RB Fozzy Whittaker had 39-yard rec. TD last week. RB DeAngelo Williams is franchise leader in rush att. (1,432), yards (6,846) & TDs (46). FB Mike Tolbert had TD catch last week... TE Olsen had 6 rec. TDs & is only TE in NFL with 5+ rec. TDs in every season since 2008. Had 1st career 1,000-yard season (1,008) & ranked 2nd among TEs. Was 3rd among TEs with career-high 84 catches. Among rookies, WR Kelvin Benjamin was 3rd with 73 catches, 1,008 rec. yards & 9 rec. TDs. WR Jerricho Cotchery was 3rd on club in catches (48) & rec. yards (580)... Since Dec. 1 (incl. playoffs), team is 2nd in NFL allowing 11.8 points per game & 238.2 yards per game. LB Kuechly led NFL with 153 tackles. Since entering NFL in 2012, leads league with 473 tackles. In WC, had team-high 10 tackles & INT. Has 27 tackles & INT in 3 career games vs. Sea. LB Thomas Davis was 2nd on club with 100 tackles. DE Charles Johnson led team with 8.5 sacks, his 5th consecutive season with 8+ sacks. Since 2010, is only NFC player with 50+ sacks (52.5) & 13+ FFs (13). Had 2 sacks last week. Has 2 sacks, FF & FR in past 4 games vs. Sea. S Roman Harper led team with career-high 4 INTs & had 31-yard INT-TD in Week 17. Since 2006, is only DB in NFL with 15+ sacks (18), 15+ FFs (15) & 10+ INTs (11). Panthers had 3 players with 10+ PD: Kuechly (11), CB Josh Norman (11) & Harper (10). Norman had INT in Week 8 meeting. DE Mario Addison was 2nd on team with career-high 6.5 sacks. Rookie S Tre Boston has INT in each of past 2, incl. playoffs. Had 84-yard INT-TD in Week 17 & INT last week. DT Kawann Short had sack in WC & has 3.5 sacks in past 5 (incl. playoffs)... K Graham Gano led NFC with 61 kickoff touchbacks & leads NFL with 124 kickoff touchbacks in past 2 seasons.

Seahawks Are No. 1 seed for 2nd consecutive season & 3rd time (2005, 2013) since current 12-team format started in 1990. Over past 3 seasons, are 24-2 (.923) at home, incl. playoffs. Have won past 7 postseason home games. Have won past 6, outscoring opp. 134-39, 1st team since 1976 Pit. to win final 6 games of season & allow fewer than 40 total points. Last year, PETE CARROLL became 3rd oldest head coach to win SB... Seahawks had 5 players selected to Pro Bowl: S Kam Chancellor (3rd), RB Marshawn Lynch (5th), CB Richard Sherman (2nd), S Earl Thomas (4th) & LB Bobby Wagner (1st)... QB Russell Wilson has 36 wins & 22 home wins in reg. season, both are most in SB era. Is 4-1 in postseason & has 102 rating. In career, is 24-2 (.923) at home (incl. playoffs) with 100.1 rating. Is only player in NFL history with 2 games with 300+ pass & 85+ rush yards. Is 3-0 vs. Car... Seahawks led NFL in rush off. (172.6). RB Lynch rushed for 1,306 yards & 13 TDs, his 4th consecutive season with 1,200+ yards & 10+ TDs. Is only NFL player to rush for 1,000+ yards & 10+ TDs in each of past 4 seasons. Led NFL with 17 total TDs & tied for 1st with 13 rush TDs. Since 2011 (incl. playoffs), leads NFL with 5,823 rush yards & 54 rush TDs. Has 6 rush TDs in past 5 postseason games & aims for 6th playoff game in row with TD. In 3 home playoff games, has rushed for 380 yards (126.7 per game) & 4 TDs... WR Doug Baldwin led team with career-high 66 catches & 825 yards. Aims for 3rd playoff game in row with 100+ yards or TD. WR Jermaine Kearse aims for 3rd postseason game in row with TD catch. Had 43-yard TD in 2013 game vs. Car. (9/8/13)... Seattle led NFL in points allowed (15.9), total defense (267.1) & pass defense (185.6). Ranked 3rd in rush defense (81.5). Seahawks have led NFL in points allowed in 3 consecutive seasons. CB Sherman leads NFL with 24 INTs since entering in 2011. S Thomas is only player in NFL with 400+ tackles (420), 16+ INTs (16) & 8+ FF (8) since 2010, his 1st season. LB Wagner had 104 tackles in 11 games, 2nd most on team. Has 100+ tackles in all 3 seasons. Was named NFC Defensive Player of Month for Dec. LB K.J. Wright led team with 106 tackles. S Chancellor aims for 3rd playoff game in row with INT. Has 34 tackles in past 3 postseason games. LB Malcolm Smith was named Super Bowl XLVIII MVP. Had 69-yard INT-TD & FR. Has INT in each of past 2 playoff games. DE Cliff Avril has 0.5+ sack or safety in all 4 postseason games. DE Michael Bennett has 1.5 sacks, 2 FFs & FRs in 3 playoff games. LB Bruce Irvin has 4 sacks in 2 meetings & aims for 3rd in row with 2+ sacks.