Panthers play nearly perfect half of football

The last time the Seattle Seahawks played in a game like this, they finished with the Lombardi Trophy hoisted in the air.

The Seahawks obliterated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, racing out to a 22-0 halftime lead and a 36-0 advantage before Denver got on the board.

Now they're learning what it feels like to be on the other end of such a beatdown.

The Carolina Panthers bested the Seahawks in every respect in the first half of their divisional-round clash Sunday. Cam Newton had all day to throw to wide-open receivers and the Panthers' defense harassed Russell Wilson into multiple turnovers.

When the halftime whistle blew, the Panthers had scored 31 points to the Seahawks' zero.

Teams trailing by 31-plus points in any game (regular season and postseason) in the last 15 years are 0-325, so the Seahawks have a truly enormous mountain to climb in the second half.