American football: Seahawks reach Super Bowl

SEATTLE - The Seattle Seahawks cruised to a 34-14 win over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game yesterday, earning a trip to the Super Bowl to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Seahawks defence forced four turnovers, including three interceptions from Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme, and kept Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith in check en route to their first trip to the Super Bowl in Detroit on February 5.

"Our defence did a phenomenal job today," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren told a news conference.

Shaun Alexander, the NFL's leading rusher in the regular season, knifed through the Panthers defence for 132 yards and two touchdowns in his return from a concussion that knocked him out of last week's 20-10 win over the Washington Redskins.

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck also threw two touchdowns and played error-free football, but it was Seattle's underrated defence that set the tone in front of a boisterous home crowd.

After a 17-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to tight end Jerramy Stevens put the Seahawks on the board, their defence went to work, picking off Delhomme on consecutive first-quarter possessions.

The turnovers led to the first of two Josh Brown field goals and an Alexander touchdown.

"The biggest thing was how great our defence was playing," said Hasselbeck. "Shortening the field, creating turnovers, all that kind of stuff makes an offense's job much easier."

Earlier, the Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos 34-17 in the AFC Championship game, winning a third straight playoff game on the road.

- REUTERS