CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are no ugly wins when you’re trying to earn the No. 1 seed heading into the NFL playoffs.

So save for another day the worries about the Seahawks’ offense, which has scored just one touchdown in the first half of the last five games.

And save, for at least a little while, concerns about Sam Darnold’s propensity for turnovers.

He came into the game leading the NFL in turnovers with 18 and had two more Sunday, one leading to Carolina’s only points through the first three quarters.

Worth only celebration is that the Seahawks’ defense returned to looking Super Bowl-champion worthy in forcing two turnovers, while the offense came to life in the second half to convert each into touchdowns as the Seahawks pulled away for a 27-10 win on a gloomy day at Bank of America Stadium.

And with the victory — the sixth in a row and 10 th in its last 11 games — the Seahawks stayed alive for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and winning its first division title since 2020.

They could wrap up the West by the end of the NFL week with losses by the 49ers on Sunday night and the Rams on Monday night.

If those two things don’t happen, the Seahawks will need to beat the 49ers next week to achieve both.

The win was the Seahawks’ 13th of the year, tying the 2005 and 2013 teams — which each advanced to the Super Bowl — for the most in team history. They also set a franchise record for points in a season, now up to 470.

Despite being locked in 3-3 tie at halftime, the Seahawks ultimately did what they came to Carolina to do, scoring two touchdowns in the span of 3:13 midway through the third quarter — each time thanks to short fields set up by turnovers forced by the defense — to blow the game open.

It was a return to form by the defense, which gave up a franchise record 581 yards in a 38-37 overtime win over the Rams on Dec. 18.

The Seahawks gave up just 139 yards and 2.7 yards per play, each season lows.

And the offense overcame its sluggish start to score on four consecutive drives in the second half to put the game away. Turnovers led to the first two.

Locked in a 3-3 tie at the half, the Seahawks appeared in position to take the lead after driving to the 18 on the first series of the third quarter, getting the ball at the 40 when the Panthers kickoff landed short of the landing zone.

On second down, Darnold tried to hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the back of the end zone, but the pass sailed over his head and to Carolina cornerback Mike Jackson, a former Seahawk.

Jackson made a sliding grab in the back of the end zone, with the initial call of an interception upheld after a review.

But on the next play, DeMarcus Lawrence forced Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard to fumble as he was being held up by linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

Lawrence fell on the ball and was ruled down, though he got up and ran for a TD initially.

Given the ball at the 20, the Seahawks used two third-down conversions — including a 16-yard catch and run by tight end AJ Barner that took the ball to the 4 — to get the go-ahead TD on a 2-yard run by Zach Charbonnet.

On the next series, safety Julian Love stepped in front of a Bryce Young pass at the Seattle 45 and returned it 26 yards to the Panthers 29.

The Seahawks drove easily for a TD on a 17-yard pass from Darnold to Barner that made it 17-3 with 5:32 left in the third quarter and appeared as if it might just about end suspense, especially with the way the Seattle defense was playing.

But the Seahawks let the Panthers hunt-and-peck their way down the field, converting a fourth-and-one and a third-and-seven to set up a 10-yard scoring run by quarterback Bryce Young that cut the lead to 17-10 with 13:41 to play.

That put the onus on the Seahawks offense do just enough to run the game out.

The offense did as asked, converting three third downs — one aided by an especially ill-timed Carolina penalty — to move into position for a Jason Myers field goal.

A Darnold pass of six yards to Cooper Kupp picked up a third-and-four.

The Seahawks faced a third-and-20 at its own 39 with 10 minutes remaining following a sack and a delay-of-game penalty.

They caught a huge break when Carolina’s Jaycee Horn was called for a personal foul face mask penalty while trying to tackle Smith-Njigba on a short pass that would have been stopped for a 5-yard gain and forced a punt.

Three plays later, the Seahawks converted another third down on an 11-yard pass from Darnold to Smith-Njigba over the middle for 11.

That led to a 30-yard field goal by Myers that put the Seahawks ahead 20-10 with 5:33 left and gave them the breathing room needed to secure the win.

The first half was either a battle of two good defenses or two sloppy offenses, take your pick, as the teams were locked in a 3-3 tie.

The Seahawks had five drives in the first half and punted after two, lost a fumble on one and held on downs on another.

Their only score was a 48-yard field goal by Myers late in the first quarter that capped a nine-play, 40-yard drive keyed by a 25-yard run by Charbonnet that converted a third-and-15.

The Seahawks had one turnover in the first half leading to the Panthers only points but could have had a couple others.

Carolina’s Horn dropped a potential interception on the first series and Seahawks center Jalen Sundell poked the ball out of the arms of Carolina defensive lineman Derrick Brown dived to try to corral a pass that had been knocked out of the arms of Seattle receiver Kupp.

The turnover came when Darnold was ruled to have fumbled when he was hit as he threw by Nic Scourton. The ball went forward and Carolina’s A’Shawn Robinson picked it up and began to run with it only to fumble it himself when he was tackled low by Darnold.

That led to a mad scramble for the ball which was won by the Panthers when Christian Rozeboom fell on it at the Seattle 26 with 5:19 remaining. The play was reviewed but the on-field ruling upheld.

But the Seahawks defense didn’t break, holding the Panthers without a first down and forcing Carolina to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald that tied the game at 3 with 3:46 to play in the first half.

Seattle had 122 yards in the first half on 31 plays, an average of 3.9 per attempt, as Darnold completed eight of 14 passes but for just 56 yards.

Carolina had only 65 yards on 27 plays, an average of 2.4 per snap.

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