Seahawks vs. Panthers 2016 preview, NFL playoffs: Cam Newton, Russell Wilson meet once again

In what could be the most highly anticipated game of the playoffs, the Carolina Panthers host the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round on Sunday. Cam Newton and Russell Wilson are set to square off for the second time this season, and third time in just 12 months.

The Seahawks and Panthers met in the Divisional round last season, with Seattle coming out on top in a 31-17 victory. Wilson threw three touchdowns and Newton threw a 90-yard pick-six to Kam Chancellor in the game. The teams had another meeting in the 2015 regular season, with one major difference. Kelvin Benjamin, who caught two touchdowns in that playoff game, was lost for the year with a torn ACL suffered in training camp.

Despite losing his best weapon on offense, Newton went on to have his best season yet, emerging as the MVP frontrunner. He had a rough stat line against the Seahawks in Week 6, with two interceptions. But when the fourth quarter rolled around, Newton led the Panthers back from a 23-14 deficit, sealing the win with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen with just 32 seconds left. The Panthers nearly went undefeated during the season, but got tripped up by the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 to finish 15-1.

The Seahawks fell to 2-4 after that Week 6 loss and their season threatened to spiral out of control. However, they pulled things together down the stretch, winning six of their last seven games to finish 10-6 and earn a wild card spot.

Seattle’s season nearly came to an end last week, when they trailed the Minnesota Vikings 9-0 in the fourth quarter in sub-zero temperatures. But a series of unlikely plays -- Wilson turning a bad snap into a 35-yard pass, Adrian Peterson losing a fumble on the next drive, Blair Walsh shanking a 27-yard field goal -- led to the Seahawks’ 10-9 win. They’ll be playing in much warmer weather this time around, with the latest forecast calling for temperatures in the mid-40s.

Newton was on an absolute tear in the second half of the season, throwing 21 touchdowns to just one interception over the final eight games. His 35 passing touchdowns on the season are a career high, while his 10 interceptions are a career low. Newton also ran for 10 scores, the first time since his 2011 rookie year he reached double-digit touchdowns on the ground.

Newton may be the top MVP candidate, but Wilson had an equally impressive hot streak, throwing 24 touchdowns to only one interception in the final seven games. Eleven of those touchdowns went to Doug Baldwin, who finished the season tied with Brandon Marshall and Allen Robinson for the league lead. Baldwin’s 14 touchdowns are also a single-season franchise record.

The Seahawks have been on fire offensively despite not having Marshawn Lynch since Week 10 and losing impressive rookie Thomas Rawls to a broken ankle in Week 14. Instead, Christine Michael has emerged as the feature back, rushing for 192 yards on 39 carries in the final three games of the regular season. After floating around the league all season, Michael has landed back home with the Seahawks, who traded him in the preseason.

But Michael is going to have a rough go of it against the Panthers’ defense, which ranks fourth against the run and held Lynch to 54 yards in Week 6. Likewise, Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman is always a matchup problem, particularly for a Seahawks receiver corps that is pretty thin behind Baldwin and rookie Tyler Lockett.

Speaking of defense, the Seahawks finished the year with the league’s best scoring defense for the fourth straight season. They also topped the DVOA rankings for the fourth year in a row, which is the first time a team has done that since Football Outsiders started tracking data. Despite some bumps in the road (and some highly questionable tight end defense), the Legion of Boom is alive and well.

The Panthers’ receiver group was devastated by the loss of Benjamin, but Greg Olsen went on to have his best year yet, setting career highs in receiving yards and catching the most touchdowns he’s had since the 2009 season. Olsen is Newton’s most trusted target and looks to have a big day against the Seahawks’ defense, which has struggled to cover tight ends all year.

After two years of promise, Kawann Short has emerged as a force on the Panthers’ defensive line, racking up 11 sacks and earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He could create chaos up the middle against a Seahawks offensive line that’s suspect at best.

If Baldwin does get shadowed by Norman, look for Tyler Lockett to get a bigger share of the Seahawks’ passing targets. Lockett had a quiet day in the Minnesota tundra last week, but the rookie is already one of the league’s most dangerous players with the ball in his hands. He’s also a constant home run threat on kickoff and punt returns.

When: 1:05 p.m. ET

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

TV: FOX

Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews

Online: Fox Sports Go

The Panthers are 2.5-point favorites with an over/under of 44, according to OddsShark.

The home team is the favorite among the experts, but it’s not quite a consensus. The majority of the ESPN panel and six of the eight writers at CBS Sports are picking Carolina. Here at SB Nation, five out of eight experts are going with the Panthers.

For more on the Panthers, head to Cat Scratch Reader. For everything Seahawks, check out Field Gulls.