Niners pummel Panthers, Plan date with Seattle for the NFC Title.

Standing in the way of Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers making a third straight NFC Championship appearance on Sunday was Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. Seeking revenge for a 10-9 loss suffered at Home while shorthanded against Carolina in Week 10, the 49ers entered their NFC Divisional round meeting with the Panthers as the league's most dominant road team. Having won seven consecutive games entering Sunday, four of which on the road, the 49ers made themselves feel right at home against an inexperienced Carolina team coming off a first-round BYE.

Niners QB Colin Kaepernick who was held to less than 100 yards passing in the Week 10 meeting vs the Panthers, got things started early on offense as San Francisco opened the game with a 49-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. As for Kaepernick's QB counterpart -- Cam Newton making his playoff debut would make a number of early mistakes, showing jitters on Carolina's first possession as Patrick Willis came up with an interception on a tipped pass that was thrown behind the intended receiver. Despite the good field position, the 49ers would once again have to settle for a field goal, taking a 6-0 lead. It would be a sign of bad things to come for the Panthers who for the first time all year would allow points on each of their opponents first two possessions. After the early mishap, Carolina stringed together a series of first downs on the ensuing drive before being stuffed on the 1-yard line. Facing fourth and 1, Newton talked coach Ron Rivera better known as "Riverboat Ron" into going for it. The Panthers coach would stick true to his name and take the gamble, only to see his QB get stopped in his tracks as the San Francisco defense denied him of the touchdown from 1 yard out with the goal-line stand.

But just like they did last week against Green Bay, the 49ers would witness a 6-0 lead evaporate into thin air as Carolina stormed right back with a go-ahead touchdown pass from Newton to receiver Steve Smith from 31-yards out. However, it would be their only touchdown on the day as Carolina would be stood up on the 1-yard line for the second time in the game before walking away with a field goal to make it a 10-6 Panthers lead. But San Francisco would steal the lead back and regain momentum heading into the half as Kaepernick repeatedly fed wide-out Anquan Boldin with pass after pass before connecting with Vernon Davis in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score. The catch was initially ruled incomplete but the officials would review the play and eventually signal for the touchdown as Davis clearly dragged his back foot in bounds before stepping out, giving the 49ers a 13-10 lead heading into the half. The flashes of offense Carolina showed in the first half would be nonexistent in the second half, meanwhile San Francisco stuck to their game plan on offense as Kaepernick hit Boldin with a 45-yard reception that set the 49ers up inside the 5-yard line before Kaepernick took it in himself to add to his team's lead.

Kaepernick who shared dorm rooms with Cam Newton in 2011 during the NFL combine and was taken 35 spots behind the Carolina QB in the NFL Draft which he didn't take kind to, gave Newton what he described as a "shout out" by putting the finishing touches on his touchdown run by mocking Newton's signature Superman celebration before giving it a twist followed by his signature kiss of the bicep. Antics that you would normally declare out of line were anything but in this chippy contest as it was Carolina who opened the game with an attitude. But like their offense, that attitude would also disappear in the second half as the Panthers found themselves trailing, 23-10. Any chance Carolina had of pulling off the comeback would be wiped out late in the fourth quarter as Newton sailed a pass over the head of his tight-end Greg Olsen, intercepted by Donte Whitner, sealing the 49ers dominant second half and more importantly the victory as San Francisco scored 17-unanswered points to close out the game.

For the second straight contest, Colin Kaepernick didn't exactly log an awe-inspiring performance through the air but he got the job done, completing 15 of 28 pass attempts for 196 yards, 136 of them to Anquan Boldin on 8 receptions, and a touchdown while adding only 15 yards rushing. Aside from Boldin, no other 49er receiver hauled in more than three receptions or logged more than 30 yards receiving on the day. Running back Frank Gore contributed 84 yards on the ground on 17 carries.

With the win, the 49ers have now punched their ticket to the NFC Championship for the third consecutive season and become the first team to reach at least three straight conference championships since the Philadelphia Eagles made four consecutive appearances from 2001-04. Jim Harbaugh also becomes the first coach in NFL history to reach three consecutive title games in his first three seasons at the helm. Since their last loss in Week 12, the 49ers have been on a roll winning 8 straight with a point-differential of +81.

NFC Championship Preview: The 49ers win over Carolina now sets up a showdown between two defensive heavyweights in Seattle and San Francisco, a match-up fans have been licking their chops for since the start of the season. Not only will Sunday's game feature two teams and fan bases that dislike each other but a pair of coaches that dislike one another as well dating back to Harbaugh's time at Stanford and Pete Carroll's stay at USC. Since Kaepernick took over the reigns of the starting quarterback position, the 49ers are a perfect 3-0 in road playoff games and have already eclipsed the win total of Joe Montana and Steve Young combined who finished 1-7 in road playoff games while under center in San Francisco. But his next task will be by far the hardest as the 49ers take a stroll to the familiar but unfriendly confines of Seattle's CenturyLink Field, a place Kaepernick has played in twice and left empty handed both times as Seattle outscored San Francisco by a combined score of 71-16. Usually the story line when these two teams meet is a lot like this: the home team wins. A trend the 49ers plan to change now that they've got some unfinished business in mind and are looked upon as being the league's most prominent road team. 

Could the third time be a charm for Kaepernick and co.? If so, the 49ers can become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win road games in four consecutive weeks. However, it won't be easy to accomplish and could very well come down to how well they defend Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch. The 49ers who haven't allowed a 100 yard rusher all season long, know they'll have their work cut out for them on Sunday as they face a tall order in Lynch who owns three 100-yard performances against the 49ers dating back to 2011. Another factor will be how well the San Francisco offense can block out the noise level created by Seattle's raucous crowd, something that'll be easier said than done considering the Seahawks box office banned ticket sales to California natives in hopes of keeping 49er fans as far away from the game as possible. One thing the 49ers won't have to worry about, however, is Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin who will miss Sunday's game with a concussion. With two of the game's brightest young quarterbacks in Kaepernick and Russell Wilson set to take center stage and face off against one another, the game could very well come down to which QB can out perform the other down the stretch and not turn the ball over. 

As we seen demonstrated in Week 16 when the Arizona Cardinals left the hostile environment of the 12th Man with a win, Seattle, like any team can be beaten at home. But given it'll be a playoff atmosphere, the odds will be that much harder to overcome. A challenge coach Harbaugh and his team will gladly welcome. Don't expect a shortage of trash-talking in this one. #QuestForSix


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