Good morning, 12s.
Here's a look at what's "out there" for today - Monday, Jan. 12 - about your Seahawks two days after their 31-17 divisional-round playoff win over the Carolina Panthers at Seattle's CenturyLink Field.
The Final Four
A quick note before rehashing the team's Saturday night win over the Panthers: The Seahawks will host the Packers in the NFC Championship game at 12:05 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 18 at Seattle's CenturyLink Field after Green Bay claimed a 26-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys yesterday.
Tickets for next Sunday's NFC Championship will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday and the game will be nationally televised on FOX (channel 13 in Seattle).
In the AFC's title game, the New England Patriots will host the Indianapolis Colts with kickoff set for 3:40 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 18. The winners of Sunday's games will meet in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Ariz.
Paul Richardson Suffers ACL Injury
Rookie wide receiver Paul Richardson suffered an ACL injury during Saturday night's win over the Panthers, the team confirmed on Sunday. Richardson was hurt in the third quarter after going up for a deep ball from quarterback Russell Wilson.
During head coach Pete Carroll's Monday morning interview on 710 ESPN Seattle, Carroll called the injury a "heart breaker" and confirmed Richardson would be out for the rest of the postseason. Carroll also had updates on the status of center Max Unger and cornerback Byron Maxwell, which you can read right here.
The Local News
Here at Seahawks.com, Clare Farnsworth has his game story from Saturday's win - the Seahawks' seventh in a row - and names strong safety Kam Chancellor his player of the game in his game at a glance column.
I share cornerback Richard Sherman's reaction to Chancellor's big day and take a closer look at the explosive-play touchdowns turned in by wide receivers Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and tight end Luke Willson, something ESPN.com's Terry Blount expands upon here.
Here's every postgame interview and highlight from Saturday night's Seahawks win and here's how players reacted on social media to staking a spot in the NFC Championship.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network shares their initial findings from Saturday's game at CenturyLink Field.
Adam Lewis at SportsPressNW.com highlights Russell Wilson's "impeccable" play against the Panthers.
Steve Rudman at SportsPressNW.com notes the Seahawks are the first defending Super Bowl champ to win a playoff game the following season since the New England Patriots did so in 2005.
Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says the Panthers had a good plan to beat the Seahawks, but they forgot to account for Russell Wilson.
Larry Stone at the Seattle Times says Chancellor's leaping attempts at a pair of field goals symbolize the Seahawks' relentless desire to win.
Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times grades out the Seahawks' performance from Saturday.
Jim Moore at 710Sports.com says tight end Luke Willson proved his value to the Seahawks on Saturday.
Curtis Crabtree at Sports Radio 950 KJR AM has five takeaways from Saturday's Seahawks win, commenting on how Tharold Simon played in place of cornerback Byron Maxwell, who was sidelined with shortness of breath.
And Stephen Cohen at SeattlePI.com identifies six things we learned from the Saturday's divisional-round, noting the Seahawks can win in multiple ways.
The National Buzz
John Clayton at ESPN.com poses and answers 10 key questions about Sunday's NFC Championship, noting the Packers will face a tough test at CenturyLink Field with a hobbled Aaron Rodgers (calf) at quarterback.
Terry Blount at ESPN.com details Russell Wilson's near-perfect night that saw the quarterback go 8-of-8 on third down for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Blount also has a quick take on the Seahawks' upcoming matchup with the Packers.
Conor Orr at NFL.com has five things we learned from Saturday's Seahawks win, calling attention to Russell Wilson's big day.
Gregg Rosenthal at NFL.com shares three things to watch for in this week's championship games, noting the Seattle defense is playing at a rare level.
Peter King at TheMMQB.com reviews the NFL's divisional round in his Monday Morning Quarterback column, naming Kam Chancellor his defensive player of the week and putting the Seahawks at No. 1 in his 'Fine Fifteen.' King also catches up with cornerback Richard Sherman in a one-on-one interview.
Greg Bishop at SI.com talks with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon about Russell Wilson's play this past Saturday.
And Chris Burke at SI.com has an early look ahead to Sunday's conference championship games, believing the Packers will need to find a few answers on both sides of the ball if they hope to stand up to Seattle.
Tweet of the Day
Today's "Tweet of the Day" comes from free safety Earl Thomas, who shares how he felt after Saturday night's win over the Panthers.
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