SEATTLE – Jake Delhomme loves the ponies. Horse racing, that is, which means he knows a thing or two about favorites and 100-to-1 shots.
Carolina’s quarterback takes a look at tonight’s NFC Championship Game, sees the Panthers and Seahawks about to knock heads at Qwest Field and believes he knows the deal.
“I’d have to say we’d be the long shot,” Delhomme said. “We’re the team that had to fight our way in. We were the fifth seed. It wasn’t like we had some time to rest. This Seattle team has played well all season long. They clinched early. We have to travel all the way across country to play in their place in an extremely loud environment. They’ll be the favorites. We’ll just have to go out and do what we can do.”
What they can do, or, more precisely, what they have done, is win on the road, six times in eight games this season, followed up by playoff triumphs in East Rutherford and Chicago to land here. The Seahawks last week finally broke away from 22 years of postseason futility and sit one game away from their first Super Bowl.
That final destination is one the Seahawks figured they’d reach earlier when they hired Mike Holmgren, who in seven years in the Great Northwest won his first playoff game just last week. Holmgren won a Super Bowl after the 1996 season with the Packers and lost one the next season. Now he’s one game from getting back.
“I think I did realize how hard it was,” Holmgren said. “I think coaches realize it a little bit sooner than players do. I had hoped that we would have been able to it a little sooner than we have done it, but you know things happen along the way.”
What’s happened along the way for the Seahawks (14-3 and a perfect 9-0 at home) is that they’ve positioned themselves for a trip to Detroit. Matt Hasselbeck has blossomed into a franchise quarterback, Shaun Alexander was the MVP of the entire league with 1,880 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns and a youngish defense led the NFL with 50 sacks. Last week, the Seahawks overcame Alexander’s first-quarter exit because of a concussion to push aside the Redskins, 20-10.
Alexander’s head quickly cleared and he’s set to go, although he’ll be a question until he takes and gets up from his first big hit.
“This whole town is excited,” Alexander said. “They have been craving for something special since the beginning. It’s a good excitement. We have a great crowd. Carolina will love the atmosphere. It’s a great time to play football here. I don’t think there is such a thing as being too excited. Just go play the game. The teams that tackle, block, catch and run the best always win. That is what it boils down to.”
The Panthers (13-5) are well-stocked with 27 players from their 2003 team that fought so gallantly in a Super Bowl XXXVIII loss to the Patriots. Directed by coach-on-the-rise John Fox, Carolina has no fear of the road and is built in Fox’ no-nonsense image: Rugged defense, run-oriented offense and wonderful special teams.
The new wrinkle here is receiver Steve Smith, who was unstoppable during the season and an absolute terror in two playoff victories. He and Delhomme have a unique chemistry as the Panthers get the ball to Smith short, long and in between. That duo will have to click, as the loss of top running back DeShaun Foster (broken ankle) means that Nick Goings must carry the load.
“Are we going to miss him?” Delhomme said of Foster. “Yeah, we’ll miss him. But I’m telling you, this guy [Goings] we have playing for us this week is going to do a great job. He knows what to do. He knows how to do it.”
paul.schwartz@nypost.com
Panthers at Seahawks, Today, 6:30 p.m.
ON THE AIR
TV:
CH. 5
RADIO:
WFAN (660 AM)
THE LINE
SEAHAWKS: -3½
O/U: 44
INJURY REPORT
Panthers: OUT: RB DeShaun Foster (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: DT Kindal Moorehead (ankle), DE Julius Peppers (shoulder). PROBABLE: DT Jordan Carstens (illness), FB Brad Hoover (ankle), FS Mike Minter (wrist), C Jeff Mitchell (knee), G Tutan Reyes (toe).
Seahawks: QUESTIONABLE: DT Rocky Bernard (foot), WR Bobby Engram (back), WR Darrell Jackson (knee). PROBABLE: RB Shaun Alexander (concussion).
KEY MATCHUP
Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander vs. Panthers LBs Brandon Short, Dan Morgan and Will Witherspoon. Great trio of run-stoppers goes against the league’s rushing leader and MVP.
NUMBER TO KNOW
Ten. That’s how many touchdown catches former Giant and Buccaneer Joe Jurevicius has for the Seahawks, far and away the team leader in that department.
PANTHERS CONCERN
The loss of RB DeShaun Foster depletes their running game to the point where they’re too reliant on Jake Delhomme to pass them out of trouble.
SEAHAWKS CONCERN
No one stops Panthers WR Steve Smith, but Seattle can’t let him get behind a rather ordinary secondary and score too easily or too quickly.
PREDICTION
Winning three consecutive road games in the playoffs and four overall is nearly impossible, but Carolina is built to do it. Nick Goings will run enough to keep the Seattle defense honest and the better defensive backfield and special teams gives John Fox’ team the edge.
PANTHERS 23
SEAHAWKS 20