NFL

With revenge in mind, 49ers enter ear-splitting CenturyLink

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The last time the 49ers ventured into Seattle to face the Seahawks, Colin Kaepernick left the building a beaten man. Sure, he ran for 87 yards, but he threw three interceptions, gained only 127 yards through the air and could not get his team in the end zone in a pulverizing 29-3 loss back on Sept. 15.

And now, Kaepernick returns to the scene of his football crimes when the 49ers face the Seahawks on Sunday in an all-chalk NFC Championship Game.

“I think we’re the two teams that everybody was kind of looking at from the beginning,’’ Kaepernick said. “It’s going to be a knock-down, drag-out game.’’

The 49ers advanced with a 23-10 victory over the Panthers in a divisional playoff game that highlighted the Niners’ vast postseason experience. Kaepernick’s most recent memory of the Seahawks is beating them 19-17 in the regular-season rematch Dec. 8 at Candlestick Park, but playing at CenturyLink Field is a different challenge, one the 49ers say they are ready for after hitting the road for playoff victories in arctic Green Bay and temperate Carolina.

“We know where we want to go,” said 49ers running back Frank Gore, who ran for 84 yards against the Panthers. “We done been through all the ups and downs. We feel like this is the year, you know? We didn’t get none of the byes, but we were OK with it. We feel that we’re built for going on the road.

“You know, we’re a physical team. We’re willing to do whatever it takes. We didn’t finish last year and we back where we want to be. We’ve got to go to Seattle. We know it’s going to be a dog fight, but we’re built for this.’’
Indeed, more than any other team, the 49ers seem built to stand up to the Seahawks, a team that specializes in physical and often verbal intimidation. The Panthers tried to tangle that way with the Niners and fell flat on their faces.

“We don’t back down from no teams,’’ 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin said after catching eight passes for 136 yards.

The Seahawks won the NFC West, forcing the 49ers to take the wild-card route to get to a game featuring the two teams most everyone figured would get this far.

“Take nothing away from them, they’re a good football team, they’re playing at home,’’ linebacker Patrick Willis said. “It’s tough to play up there, the crowd is loud. But this is the game to go to the Super Bowl. Nothing matters outside of who is on that field in what we do and we have to be focused and I know we’re going to be ready.’’