...but the games were worth the price of admission! Seattle had a tough game against the now 8-9-1 Carolina Panthers, more difficult than the records would indicate, although the final score of 31-17 falls in line and perhaps even above where they were expected to fall. Cam Newton played a great game, and with more receiving weapons who's to say they might not have a chance against a defending Super Bowl champ? Just...not THIS defending champ. Perhaps if the Panthers' fullback hangs onto that third and five pass...perhaps if Kam Chancellor doesn't take the pass back to the house in the fourth... But that isn't the case. The Seahawks win, and they will host the winner of the potential classic tomorrow between Green Bay and Dallas next Sunday.
But as far as "classics" go, that's still only a potential. The game today betwixt Baltimore and New England was an instant classic, including TWO fourteen point leads by the Ravens (14-0 after their first two drives, and 28-14 after their opening drive of the second half) that were BOTH swallowed up by the Patriots, and when the lead opened a third time with a field goal, Tom Brady took his minutemen down the field for their only lead of the game. Joe Flacco, who extended his streak to seventeen touchdowns without a playoff interception before a fairly easy pick in the third quarter, gave up a second one in the end zone trying to put together a game-winning drive of his own inside the two minute mark. Yet he still had one more shot at it, as coach Harbaugh East played his cards right against Belechick and got the ball back for a four second Hail Mary play that for ONCE, a defense played correctly and batted out of the end zone where it couldn't harm them. New England ill also host its conference title game next Sunday, against the winner of the Denver/ Indianapolis game tomorrow, following the 35-31 win today over the strong and game Ravens club, the only wild card left in the divisional round this year.
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