Carolina Panthers (8-8-1) at Seattle Seahawks (12-4)

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET, at CenturyLink Field, Seattle – TV: FOX

*TV announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver

*Keys to the game: The Panthers have the offensive game plan suited to keeping the game close, and the history to back that belief up. The teams have meet each of the past three seasons in Carolina, with the Seahawks winning all three, but only by an average of 4.3 points in low-scoring defensive battles.

Carolina’s ground game is the most formidable it has been all season with RB Jonathan Stewart and QB Cam Newton healthy. If the Panthers can run between the tackles and suck up time of possession, they know the Seahawks don’t score a ton of points — as long as Newton steers clear of mistakes downfield. In the three previous meetings, he has averaged 146 yards while completing 68 percent of his pass attempts. He has also been sacked a combined 13 times. Translation: he will throw high percentage passes in an attempt to keep the chains moving and steer clear of the Legion of Boom.

The Seahawks are not exotic offensively. RB Russell Wilson will run the zone read with RB Marshawn Lynch against a middle of the pack run defense. The onus is on gap integrity among Carolina’s front seven to prevent big plays that could prove backbreaking in a tight contest. Wilson lacks the outside threats to push the ball vertically, but is very dangerous when escaping the pocket and looking for WR Doug Baldwin or one of several solid tight ends on extended plays.

*Matchup to watch – Panthers DTs Colin Cole and Kawaan Short vs. Seahawks C Max Unger: Unger returns after missing six games and handles all the line calls. With former first-round pick Star Lotulelei (broken foot) out, Cole gets the nod next to Short. The interior defensive line is pivotal for keeping the Panthers’ speedy linebackers free of blocks and the Panthers have limited Lynch to a combined 105 yards the past two meetings.

*Player spotlight – Panthers DE Charles Johnson: After posting no sacks through four games this season, Johnson has 10.5 over his past 13 and will be working against vulnerable rookie RT Justin Britt.

*Fast facts: Stewart is from Lacy, Wash., about one hour south of Seattle, and chose the University of Oregon over the University of Washington, among others. … Seattle is attempting to become the first team since the 2005 Patriots to win a playoff game the year after winning the Super Bowl.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

The Panthers have won five straight, are playing with house money and can absolutely take this game down to the wire. Then again, Newton has never played in Seattle, and certainly not in the postseason, where the Seahawks feed off their environment and regularly turn first-half dogfights into comfortable victory marches.

*Our pick: Seahawks 23-16