Seahawks Enemy Overview: Seattle Readying For Andy Dalton, 'Loaded' Panthers Defense

Looking for their second consecutive win to keep pace in the NFC West early in the season, the Seattle Seahawks may have to deal with a familiar nemesis under center as the struggling Carolina Panthers come to town for a Week 3 battle at Lumen Field.

With No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young missing the first two practices of the week due to injury, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton looks poised to make his first start of the 2023 season. Typically, when a backup quarterback has to step in, that would be viewed as an advantage for the opponent. But the Seahawks have had their share of issues against the "Red Rifle" over the years.

Dalton, a former second-round pick out of TCU back in 2011, has started four games against the Seahawks with two different teams, posting a 3-1 record against them. This includes guiding the Saints to a 39-32 home win against coach Pete Carroll's squad in Week 5 last season. In those four contests, he has completed 66 percent of his passes and averaged 276 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns, creating a bit of a backup quarterback jinx for Seattle.

While Carroll wasn't asked specifically about Dalton on Wednesday, the Seahawks coach has great respect for the Panthers despite their 0-2 start, acknowledging their physical run game and a talented defense that ranks in the top 10 in yards allowed as well as boasting one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. Adding the seasoned quarterback to the equation running coach Frank Reich's offense, he knows his team will need to be ready for a fight on Sunday.

"We know we see a very hungry team coming in here," Carroll told reporters prior to Wednesday's practice. "Carolina is hungry to get their win, get going. They’re tough and they’re physical up front, they like to run the football. They play really good up front in run and pass, terrific pass rush."

As the Seahawks aim for their first home victory of the season to improve to 2-1 on the season, here’s a closer look at their Week 3 opponent, including series history, additions/departures, a deep dive into scheme, and Carroll's evaluation of the rebuilding Panthers.

Series History

It's the 13th regular-season meeting. Winning three of the past four matchups between the two teams, the Seahawks have an 8-4 record in regular season games against the Panthers and have beaten them twice in three postseason games. Interestingly, dating back to 2016, Carolina has won two of the previous three games played at Lumen Field, including a 30-24 upset last December.

What's New?

Departures: In order to land the top pick from the Bears, the Panthers had to sweeten the pot by throwing star receiver DJ Moore in as part of the deal, leaving a major void to fill at the skill positions. Away from Moore's departure, however, Carolina didn't lose many notable players, as Young and Dalton's arrival led to Sam Darnold and Matt Corral departing at the quarterback spot. On defense, former starting linebacker Cory Littleton left to join the Texans in free agency.

Additions: Looking to build around Young, the Panthers aggressively sought out experienced playmakers in free agency, first signing former Eagles starting running back Miles Sanders to bolster their run game. On the outside, Carolina signed former Pro Bowler receiver Adam Thielen and former first-round pick DJ Chark to help replace the production lost by trading away Moore. The front office also spent significant money fortifying the defense from front to pack, giving former Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle a three-year deal, adding edge rusher Justin Houston on a one-year deal, and signing safety Von Bell to team up with Jeremy Chinn.

Injury Report

The Panthers have taken some major hits on defense over the past couple of weeks, losing star cornerback Jaycee Horn (hamstring) and linebacker Shaq Thompson (ankle) to injured reserve. Carolina also lost starting guard Brady Christensen for the season with a biceps injury, leaving the team without both projected starting guards as Austin Corbett works back from a torn ACL.

Inside The Scheme

Under the direction of Reich, the Panthers have employed an under center-heavy offense with Young at the wheel, only using shotgun formations at a 40 percent clip. Through the first two games, Carolina ranks first in the NFL using 11 personnel with one running back, one tight end, and three receivers on the field on 94 percent of its first down snaps.

While Young has struggled to move the ball downfield averaging 4.2 yards per attempt in part due to a receiving corps that hasn't been able to create much separation to this point, Carolina does have a potent ground game. Led by Sanders and Chuba Hubbard, the team ranks in the top 10 in rushing yards and top five in yards per carry so far, deploying a scheme with multiplicity as they have called an even 50/50 split between zone and gap concepts. The offensive line has held up its end of the bargain, as they rank third in yards per carry before contact according to Pro Football Reference.

Surprisingly, given the success of Carolina's run game, Reich hasn't dialed up play action much with Young. Currently, per Pro Football Focus, the rookie quarterback ranks 26th in the NFL in play action drop backs and play action percentage. The former Heisman winner has been effective on those opportunities, completing nine out of 11 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. With Dalton likely to start, play action may be a bigger part of the game plan.

Defensively, the Panthers have wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks primarily relying on a dominant defensive line led by superstar edge rusher Brian Burns. The ex-Florida State star already has two sacks in the first two games and possesses elite burst off the snap, allowing him to rocket past tackles into the backfield on a consistent basis. Through two games, Carolina ranks third in sack rate (12.7 percent) and fifth in total sacks despite blitzing less often than any other team in the NFL at 7.8 percent.

“They’re really tough up front. They’re tough up front on the run and rushing the passer," Carroll assessed. "Their technique is solid and scheme-wise good, they look for chances to highlight their guys in the rush. They have a fantastic rusher in [Brian] Burns. It’s just a good group in every way. If Shaq [Thompson] doesn’t play, I’m not sure how that goes without him, he’s a really good player too. That would be somewhat of a loss, but they’re loaded. This is a really good group.”

Led by their fierce pass rush, the Panthers have allowed just 298 passing yards and one touchdown in the first two games, performing well in the secondary even without Horn. They have been vulnerable against the run, however, ranking in the bottom third in the league in rushing yards and yards per carry allowed while surrendering four touchdowns on the ground, tied for the third-most in the NFL.