6:40 p.m., Fox. Line: Panthers by 3.
In the first half of last week’s victory against the Seattle Seahawks, the Panthers showed why they won 15 games in the regular season. They moved the ball with ease on offense, made big plays on defense and thoroughly humiliated one of the best teams in the N.F.L. in cruising to a 31-0 lead. Whether they focused too much on playing things safe, or the Seahawks adjusted their approach, something happened at halftime that nearly led to what would have been the second-largest collapse in playoff history.
The net result of the 31-24 victory was that the top team in football beat a red-hot opponent while pundits lost a great deal of confidence in it along the way.