Panthers face Seahawks with Playoff Berth in Play
Written by Sharon Thorsland
A pair of teams fighting for division titles face off Sunday as the Panthers welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Bank of America stadium. The Panthers are in first place in the NFC South after a key win over the Bucs last week and are in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth. The Seahawks boast the best record in the NFC right now at 12-3 on the year following their epic overtime win over the Rams last week but have yet to clinch the NFC West.
This Seahawks team is elite in all phases. They rank third in the NFL averaging 30 points per game, and allow only 18.6 points per game, that’s second in the league. Leading the offense is veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, who has had plenty of success following his time in Carolina. He’s thrown for over 3700 yards with 24 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, and has one of the best receivers in the game in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The third-year player is having a historic season, racking up a league leading 1,637 receiving yards on 104 catches with 10 touchdowns. “He’s a true number one receiver,” said Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson. “He’s one of those guys that’s going to find a way to get the ball. He’s just a gamer.”
Cooper Kupp and former Saints speedster Rashid Shaheed are also in the mix, and tight end AJ Barner is second on the team with 47 catches. Kenneth Walker the third and Zack Charbonnet are an excellent 1-2 punch at running back with a combined 14 touchdowns.
The Panthers have their own 1-2 punch at running back in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. They’ll face an elite Seahawks defense that allows just 94 rushing yards per game, that’s third in the NFL. They’re an aggressive group – their 22 takeaways rank 6th in the league and their 42 sacks are fifth in the league. Pro bowl defensive tackles Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy and longtime Cowboy DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence account for 19 of those sacks. Former Gamecock linebacker Ernest Jones leads the team in tackles and has five interceptions. The Seahawks boast a ball-hawking secondary anchored by Pro-Bowl cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen. “They got some young guys but also some vets,” said Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan. “They play with toughness, they play with grit. They’re going to come out swinging.”
This game marks the third time this season the Panthers will face the top team in the NFC. The fir
