Seattle never plays well in the first half when they travel east and play the 10AM PST game. I don't think any west coast team does. I don't know why they schedule like that in the playoffs. Heck, I woke up at 10AM and I was still groggy. lol
Anyways, I knew they'd have to come back in the second half when I saw the schedule, but 31 was just too much. At least they made a game of it, but a big part of that was Carolina being up so much so soon and just coasting, then they couldn't get back in the groove. Carolina vs Arizona should be a great game.
This game is the reason why I think big leads hurt teams, especially when they get them so early in the game.
I mean, its hard to play with a sense of urgency when you're sitting on a 31 point cushion. Its human to protect the lead, unless you're the Patriots, which is one of the very rare teams that can put teams away early and for good.
Carolina absolutely played not to lose. That nearly costs them.