Seattle roars into 1st Super Bowl

As the lead quickly grew so did the noise, deafening enough to carry from here to Detroit, where the Seattle Seahawks' name can now be painted upon Ford Field.

Any Super Bowl is sweet for a city, but perhaps never more than the first one.
"It feels good," defensive end Grant Wistrom said, "to bring them something they've always wanted."
Seattle (15-3) joined the Super Bowl club Sunday, with a roar and a romp in its 34-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers (13-6).
Thirty years, they had waited here. Through thick and thin, fog and rain. Through Jim Zorn and Steve Largent and all the others who never quite made it. The stars were finally aligned Sunday.
"They were," team owner Paul Allen said of an enthralled home crowd, "out of their minds out there tonight."
"A great atmosphere," Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "If you were on the other side."
Aligned, too, were the Seahawks. Shaun Alexander, with his 132 yards rushing and two TDs just a week after a concussion.
"If you don't think big and dream big," he said, "you can't get there."
And Matt Hasselbeck, with his two TD passes and precise 20-for-28 completion percentage.
"I'm kind of at a loss for words right now," he said.
And, most of all, the Seattle defense. Its handiwork was extraordinary. Carolina had 36 yards rushing, and did not score an offensive touchdown until 5:09 was left. In the Panthers' first nine possessions, stretching late into the third period, they had three first downs.
The Seahawks applied constant heat on Delhomme and intercepted him three times. They held Steve Smith to five catches and 33 harmless yards -- and three receptions came late.
"They played the perfect game," Carolina cornerback Ken Lucas said. "We got embarrassed tonight."
Smith had been the terror of the postseason with 22 catches in two games, but was shackled by an array of coverages and double teams, and the fact the Carolina ground game could not help take some of the burden.
Smith's one moment of daylight came on a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first half -- Carolina's only points until the last meaningless minutes.
Nick Goings had his bell rung on a tackle late in the first period. He had started for the injured DeShaun Foster at running back. But Goings was gone for good, having gained 2 yards.
That left Jamal Robertson, who had 14 carries in the regular season.
"When it rains it pours," Smith said of the first quarter. "That about sums it up."
Carolina
0
7
0
7
--
14
Seattle
10
10
7
7
--
34
Sea--Stevens 17 pass from Hasselbeck (Brown kick), 5:31.
Sea--FG Brown 24, 2:23.
Sea--Alexander 1 run (Brown kick), 14:53.
Car--S.Smith 59 punt return (Kasay kick), 9:05.
Sea--FG Brown 39, 4:03.
Sea--D.Jackson 20 pass from Hasselbeck (Brown kick), 11:09.
Sea--Alexander 1 run (Brown kick), 6:00.
Car--Carter 47 pass from Delhomme (Kasay kick), 5:09.
A -- 67,837.
Car
Sea
First downs
11
27
Total Net Yards
212
393
Rushes-yards
12-36
51-190
Passing
176
203
Punt Returns
1-59
2-7
Kickoff Returns
7-143
2-51
Interceptions Ret.
0-0
3-67
Comp-Att-Int
15-35-3
20-28-0
Sacked-Yards Lost
2-20
2-16
Punts
7-34.7
5-38.8
Fumbles-Lost
1-1
0-0
Penalties-Yards
5-57
7-63
Time of Possession
18:09
41:51
Rushing -- Carolina, Robertson 4-19, Delhomme 3-15, Goings 5-2. Seattle, Alexander 34-132, Hasselbeck 6-27, Morris 7-24, Strong 4-7.
Passing -- Carolina, Delhomme 15-35-3-196. Seattle, Hasselbeck 20-28-0-219.
Receiving -- Carolina, Robertson 5-37, S.Smith 5-33, Carter 2-88, Proehl 1-19, Mangum 1-10, Hoover 1-9. Seattle, D.Jackson 6-75, Stevens 6-66, Engram 3-34, S.Wallace 1-28, Hannam 1-7, Jurevicius 1-6, Strong 1-3, Alexander 1-0.
Missed field goal -- Seattle, Brown 49 (SH).