Clash of NFC division leaders, 4 other things to know about Panthers vs. Seahawks

They have emerged as the frontrunner when it comes to grabbing homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs. Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks are in the midst of a season-best five-game winning streak (by a combined 149-86 score). The team has scored 30-plus points in three of those victories. Entering Week 17, only the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions were ahead of Macdonald’s club in terms of scoring.

The 12-3 Seahawks are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. On the other hand, the Carolina Panthers haven’t made a postseason appearance since 2017. That could change if Dave Canales’s club pulls off the upset at home on Sunday against the NFC West leaders, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fall at Miami.

Carolina is coming off a 23-20 home victory over the Bucs. They have their work cut out for themselves against a team that owns a gawdy 13-2 road record under Macdonald dating back to the start of 2024.

Panthers vs. Seahawks History

Including a trio of postseason meetings, Carolina owns just a 5-11 overall record in a series that didn’t begin until the Panthers’ sixth season in the league back in 2000. Five years after their first encounter, Carolina fell at Seattle, 34-14, in the 2005 NFC Championship Game. The clubs also met in the divisional round in back-to-back seasons in 2014 (Seahawks, 31-17) and 2015 (Panthers, 31-24), with the home team prevailing in each instance. The teams are actually meeting for the third time in four years. The Panthers managed a 30-24 victory at Seattle in 2022, then fell at Lumen Field the following season, 37-27.

Let’s Talk About Sacks, Baby

In 2024, only two teams in the league allowed more sacks than Seattle. The Seahawks gave up a whopping 54 QB traps. This season, a much-improved front has paved the way for quarterback Sam Darnold to be sacked just 22 times. The ‘Hawks’ offensive line was ranked ninth by Pro Football Focus entering Week 17.

While the Seahawks have had no problems stringing together victories, Dave Canales’s team hasn’t won back-to-back games since the club’s three-game winning streak from Weeks 5-7. Regardless, the Panthers’ eight victories this season are one more than Carolina managed the previous two seasons combined (7).

Keep an Eye on Panthers’ DT Derrick Brown

Seahawks’ wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,637 receiving yards, and is tied for third in with 10 scores through the air. He’s headed to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year, as is Panthers’ cornerback Jaycee Horn. In 2024, Carolina gave up an NFL-high 35 TD passes (18 in 15 games this season).

This contest features two of the best interior defenders in the league in Seattle’s Leonard Williams and Carolina’s Derrick Brown. While the former is headed to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year, Brown was surprisingly not accorded that honor. The “disappointed” defender has a career-high five sacks.

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