Tom Pelissero

USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE – All season long, the Seattle Seahawks' defense carried them at times the offense sputtered. Its biggest challenge yet will come in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The Seahawks forced turnovers on the San Francisco 49ers' final three drives Sunday, the last an interception by linebacker Malcolm Smith on a deflection by cornerback Richard Sherman in the end zone with 22 seconds to go that sealed a 23-17 victory in the NFC Championship Game.

"All I can tell you is it's quite a magical moment," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "You can't quite grasp the reality of it. Is this really happening? Did we really do this? And it's very, very special."

But they're not done just yet.

Next up is a date with Peyton Manning and the high-powered Denver Broncos on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Sherman said. "They're an unbelievable, record-setting offense with a hall of fame quarterback. That's as tough as it gets."

It's the second Super Bowl trip in the 38-year history of the Seahawks, who also went after the 2005 season and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This NFC title triumph was particularly sweet. They rallied from an early 10-point deficit against the division rival 49ers, who lost last year's Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.

"Some people thought San Francisco had a chance to beat us, so we took that personal," safety Earl Thomas said. "You don't come in our house and think you're going to do anything that you want to do to us. We're here to play."

Colin Kaepernick fumbled and threw an interception on the 49ers' two drives before the late interception. But the Seahawks managed only one field goal off those turnovers.

Given the ball once more with 3:32 to go, Kaepernick completed four consecutive passes, including a fourth-and-2 strike to crossing Frank Gore, as the 49ers drove to the Seattle 18.

But Sherman got a piece of Kaepernick's jump-ball throw for Michael Crabtree in the end zone and Smith corralled the deflection, allowing Seattle to run out the clock.

"I didn't realize the game was over until I got to the sideline, man," Smith said. "Just to see my teammates going crazy – I was just there. I just happened to be the guy to catch it."

Sherman was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play for giving a choke sign he said was directed at Kaepernick. And he continued to taunt the 49ers after the game was over, giving a high-volume interview on Fox and later saying Crabtree isn't a top-20 receiver.

Asked if he was surprised the final pass came his direction, Sherman said, "I think everybody in the stadium was surprised. You throw that, it's a mistake."

The interception set off a celebration during which confetti fell, Sherman leaped into the CenturyLink Field stands and New York, New York played over the stadium speakers.

No players remain from that 2005 Seahawks team, and no one on Seattle's roster has appeared in a Super Bowl. Neither has Carroll, who did take the University of Southern California to two BCS championship games before becoming the Seahawks' coach in 2010.

"We want to do something great for this city, and we want to do something great within this organization," quarterback Russell Wilson said. "To do that, though, we've got to stay on course. We can't get distracted."

Seattle took its first lead at 20-17 with 13:44 to go after Carroll reconsidered a field-goal attempt on fourth-and-7 from the 35-yard line. Wilson drew Aldon Smith offside, prompting Jermaine Kearse to run up the seam and catch a strike in the end zone over Carlos Rogers.

"It's a free play," Kearse said, "so we were going to take a shot."

Minutes later, Cliff Avril came around the edge to strip Kaepernick as he tried to throw and Michael Bennett scooped the ball on a hop, giving Seattle a chance to push the lead to 10. But a botched exchange at the goal line left the Seahawks with nothing.

They made it 23-17 with 3:37 left on a field goal after Kam Chancellor intercepted a bad-idea throw from Kaepernick for Anquan Boldin at the sideline.

"I cost us this game," said Kaepernick, who also was a reason the 49ers were in it, setting up one touchdown with his legs and throwing another to Boldin that made it 17-10 in the third quarter.

He got another shot in the final minutes, sending a jolt of tension through an announced crowd of 68,454 that had seen the Seahawks offense stumble again and again, beginning Wilson's fumble on the game's first snap.

But once again, the Seattle defense was there to seal the deal – something it couldn't do in last year's divisional playoffs at Atlanta, where the Falcons got the ball back with 31 seconds to go and got in position for the winning field goal.

"I really can't put it into words," Sherman said. "Every ounce of your energy, every moment spent watching film has been worth it, because we made it. It's fantastic."

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