Initial Thoughts on Carolina's Win Over Seattle
Boy, where has that team been all season?
The Panthers walked out of Seattle with a 30-24 win over the Seahawks. Coming off of a bye week, the Panthers looked fresh and motivated to attack Seattle right out of the gate.
This attacking mindset was evident early as the Panthers jumped out to a 17-0 lead after three offensive possessions, easily the best offensive first half of the season for Carolina.
The rushing attack was the main catalyst for this hot start, and being able to carry it through to the final whistle. D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard each rushed for 74 yards, and while Raheem Blackshear and Sam Darnold each rushed for over 30 yards as well. Carolina's rushing attack was so dominate, Seattle was out-rushed 224-46,
While the offense was humming through the rushing attack, the passing attack was sufficient, if underwhelming. DJ Moore notably went catch-less for the entire game, and no Panthers player topped Laviska Shenault's 31 yards. Sophomore receiver Shi Smith did record his first receiving touchdown of his career in the first quarter, which was a plus.
The passing attack can be cut some slack due to the offense's lack of need to keep their foot on the pedal, but you would still hope for a bit more production through the air in a game in which your team scored 30 points.
On the defensive side, Jaycee Horn was an absolute animal today. His ball skills were on full display, as he intercepted Geno Smith early, and nearly had two others that were both ruled out of bounds. The former first round pick has really grown into his own as a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses. He even recovered the onside attempt to seal the game at the end, another testament to his skill.
Elsewhere on the defense, CJ Henderson also chipped in an interception, Frankie Luvu recorded one sack, and Shaq Thompson and Brian Burns combined for another.
Geno Smith was under a good bit of pressure today, but was still able to majorly make strong decisions despite some tight windows. The Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are no walk-in-the-park to cover, but it was actually Marquise Goodwin who was Smith's top receiving option of the day, recording 95 yards on five catches.
While the Panthers were ultimately able to pull off their first road win since November 2021, there are still some things that need to be polished up if they are going to compete for the division title.
Oh you didn't hear? The 5-8 Panthers are now just 1 (!) game out of first place in the NFC South after their win today.
The Panthers came out of the gates hot, but took their foot off the gas time after time enough to always leave Seattle a chance to get back into things.
A 17-0 lead was trimmed to 20-17 after Seattle's first possession of the second half in large part because the team's complacency showed its face until the game was once again within one score.
Even as the game was out of reach in the final moments, the Panthers defense absolutely gave up on the 24-yard touchdown to Goodwin with 16 seconds left, leaving the Panthers just an onside recovery and a hail mary away from a loss.
Now yes, chances were slim that Seattle would be able to pull off the comeback, but this game with lots bright spots should also be a learning experience.
If Carolina is going to work their butts off to still have a shot to win the division, they are absolutely going to have to keep a winning focus consistently for a full 60 minutes of gameplay.
Steve Wilks' squad should be proud though, Nobody thought this team would still be playing meaningful football after a 1-4 start, yet here they are. And there is still more to come if they keep executing.
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @AllPanthers_ and Ian Black at @ian_black14.
