CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Carolina Panthers ran roughshod over the N.F.L. this season, finishing a league-best 15-1, questions lingered. Sure, quarterback Cam Newton was performing like a most valuable player and the team’s defense was among the league’s best, but the Panthers also had one of the easiest schedules, and they barely escaped with wins against teams like the New Orleans Saints and the Giants, who had losing records.
So the Panthers were out to show on Sunday that their regular-season record was no fluke. And they were determined to do it against the Seattle Seahawks, who had won the N.