San Francisco, Denver win through

The San Francisco 49ers are one win from a repeat NFL Super Bowl appearance after overcoming the Carolina Panthers 23-10 on Sunday. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was again the star as he threw one touchdown pass and ran for another score as the 49ers squeezed the life out of the Panthers. The victory was earned with a solid defensive structure rendering Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton ineffective with the 49ers making two interceptions, causing four sacks and also stopping their opponent twice on the one-yard-line It is the third straight season the 49ers will feature in the NFC Championship game as they advanced to take on the Seattle Seahawks on the road. San Francisco will also be keen to avenge the 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in last season's Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos have earned the right to meet the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game after a hard-fought 24-17 win over the San Diego Chargers. Leading 17-0 going into the final quarter, the Broncos defence switched off as quarterback Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to give his team a sniff. The Chargers went for the onside kick at 24-14 down with just under six minutes on the clock and were buoyed as cornerback Richard Marshall emerged with the ball. But they could only convert a field goal at the end of the drive and once Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had the ball in his hands, it was always going to be difficult for the Chargers. At third and 17 with five minutes to play, Manning made a crucial play with a 21-yard pass to Julius Thomas securing the first-down and ensuring possession remained with the Broncos. The Broncos and the Patriots have met once this season in New England with the home side sneaking a 34-31 overtime victory.