CHARLOTTE — For a half, the Panthers treated the Seahawks like a sausage grinder treats a hunk of meat.
Jonathan Stewart ripped off a 59-yard run on the first play from scrimmage and scored on the fourth, Luke Kuechly returned a Russell Wilson interception for a touchdown on the sixth, and after 30 minutes of dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and cutting a wide swath through the Legion of Boom, the Panthers led 31-0.
Each and every one of their doubters were silenced.
Then the Seahawks seeped back into the game, using a mix big plays, defensive stops and Wilson's weekly parcel of miracles to narrow the score all the way to 31-24.