I wrote this on January 9th, 2015, shortly before the Seahawks beat the Panthers in their Divisional Round Playoff matchup, which set up an NFC Championship game against the Packers. That game, like every Seattle-Carolina tilt, featured two teams whose philosophies meshed closely. Those philosophies centered around punch-you-in-the-mouth running on offense. That hasn't changed.
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The Panthers and Seahawks, NFL Divisional round opponents, have a lot in common. Both teams espouse the same ideals of playing tough, physical defense and both favor a ball-control, option-based and run-heavy offensive game plan. Over the final six weeks of the season, the Seahawks (1,052 yards) and Panthers (975 yards) outpaced all other teams in rushing while surrendering the fewest points league-wide (39 for Seattle, 74 for Carolina).