The Seattle Seahawks are one game away from the Super Bowl after the defending champions recorded a 31-17 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, while the New England Patriots progressed past the Baltimore Ravens in a 35-31 thriller.
The Seattle Seahawks beat the Carolina Panthers 31-17 on Saturday, putting the defending champions one win away from a return trip to the Super Bowl.
The top-seeded Seahawks, who are trying to become the NFL's first repeat champion in 10 years, used a suffocating defence and explosive fourth quarter to put what had been a close game out of reach.
"The guys played really hard tonight and played a really good tough, physical game," Seattle head coach Pete Carroll told reporters.
"Our guys hung in there tough and kept the score down and allowed for some guys to make things happen."
With the victory, Seattle are the first defending champions to win a post-season game the following season since the New England Patriots in 2005.
Seattle will next host the winner of Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game on 18 January.
The Seahawks' Russell Wilson completed 15 of 22 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, including a team post-season record 63-yard scoring pass to Jermaine Kearse in the second quarter.
Kearse made a spectacular one-handed catch before out-running the Panthers defence and diving for the pylon at the left corner of the end zone for a 14-7 lead before Carolina responded with a field goal on the final play of the half.
Following a scoreless third quarter, the teams looked headed for a tense finish until Seattle erupted for 17 consecutive points in a nine-minute span.
After a Steven Hauschka field goal early, the Seahawks added to their lead when Wilson, facing a third-and-10 at the Carolina 25-yard line, connected with Luke Willson for a touchdown to build a 14-point lead.
Seattle put the game out of reach when Kam Chancellor stepped in front on a Cam Newton pass and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown that sparked wild celebrations at CenturyLink Field.
Fourth-year quarterback Newton, who dropped to 0-4 in his career against Seattle, completed 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns but was undone by a two interceptions and a lost fumble.
Four plays after a Newton fumble in the first quarter that gave Seattle the ball at the Carolina 28-yard line, Wilson found Doug Baldwin on a 16-yard pass for a 7-0 lead.
The Panthers drew even six minutes into the second quarter when Newton capped an impressive 14-play, 79-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin.
"The difference was just missed opportunities," Newton said.
"When you are playing a great defence, you just got to take what they give you and a lot of times I was kind of overlooking the play that needed to be made and instead tried to make the bigger play."
The New England Patriots fought back from 14-point deficits twice to beat the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 as they advanced to the AFC Championship game for the fourth straight year.
The Patriots will now host the winners of Sunday's game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts.
New England did not lead until quarterback Tom Brady connected with Brandon LaFell for a 23-yard touchdown with five minutes to play to give the Patriots their 35-31 advantage.
The score allowed Brady, who threw for three touchdowns, to break Joe Montana's record of 45 playoff touchdowns.
"We showed a lot of toughness coming back from those two deficits," said Brady.
"It took a lot of effort, a lot of guys making a lot of good plays and we are happy to host the championship game next week."
The Ravens, who twice since 2000 had beaten the Patriots in playoff games, demonstrated their intent on the game's first drive with Joe Flacco leading them on a five-play, 71-yard drive culminating in a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kamar Aiken.
The freezing Foxborough crowd were stunned when, on their second possession, the Ravens scored again.
Flacco, who threw for four touchdowns, found Steve Smith who beat Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis on a slant.
Brady, who passed for 367 yards, brought the Patriots back with a clever four-yard touchdown run.
New England pulled level at 14-14 when Brady found Danny Amendola with a 15-yard touchdown pass, the receiver evading a tackle before a spectacular dive into the end zone.
If Baltimore were downhearted, they showed no signs of it, with Daryl Smith intercepting a Brady pass towards Rob Gronkowski.
With that possession, the Ravens advanced down the field and Flacco located Owen Daniels to send Baltimore in at the half with a 21-14 lead.
Busted coverage from the Patriots defence in the third quarter allowed Flacco to find a wide-open Justin Forsett with a 16-yard touchdown pass that he ran in unchallenged.
Once again, New England had dug themselves a 14-point hole.
But Brady found Gronkowski for a five-yard touchdown and then the Ravens were caught out by a brilliantly worked play as Brady passed back to receiver Julian Edelman and the former college quarterback threw a 51-yard pass to Amendola.
The Ravens' attempt at a comeback was effectively ended when a long throw from Flacco towards Torrey Smith in the end zone was picked off by Duron Harmon.
"Obviously it is a very tough loss," said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
"It was a hard fought game and they came out on top at the end, made the plays they needed to make. They are obviously a very good football team and a very deserving team.”
