A sluggish start, but a strong finish for the Seattle Seahawks (13-3), who are now on the doorstep of the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed. What was a 3-3 score at the half with the Carolina Panthers
(8-8) turned into a 27-10 rout. Bryce Young was just 14/24 for 54 yards and an interception, although he did have Carolina’s only touchdown on a scramble. It was another outstanding showing from the Seahawks’ elite defense, who limited the Panthers to 139 total yards. Incidentally, Carolina would’ve won the NFC South had they beaten the Seahawks, but they’ll have another crack in Week 18 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seattle’s passing offense might not have been crisp, with Sam Darnold committing two turnovers, but Darnold did throw a touchdown to A.J. Barner and Zach Charbonnet rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. Seattle’s ground game racked up 163 versus the Carolina front, which is a welcome sight to see. Not welcome is the concussion suffered by wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed, as well as a groin injury for Cody White.
We won’t know what the Seahawks will need to do in Week 18 until Week 17 concludes, but the bare minimum is that they’re still in the driver’s seat for home field throughout the playoffs. Their 13th win ties a franchise record, likewise a seventh road win.
Seahawks-Panthers 1st half recap
The Seahawks started on defense first, giving up an 11-yard run to Rico Dowdle on the game’s opening play. A Ty Okada tackle for loss put the Panthers behind the sticks and they were eventually forced to punt. Seattle’s opening drive almost ended on the opening play, as Jaycee Horn nearly picked off a deflected Sam Darnold pass. Darnold converted a 3rd and 10 to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but he also took a 21-yard intentional grounding penalty to kill the drive.
Carolina went three-and-out on its second possession, with Devon Witherspoon and Rico Dowdle making great open field tackles on Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, respectively.
Seattle opened up the scoring with a Jason Myers 47-yard field goal. It didn’t look like the Seahawks would get any points on the drive if not for an incredible 25-yard run on 3rd and 15 by Zach Charbonnet. By the end of the opening quarter, the Seahawks had 62 yards rushing. 3-0 Seahawks.
The defensive struggled continued for both teams, as the Seahawks punted just before midfield following a Mike Jackson break-up on a throw to David Moore. A concerning blow to the Seahawks came when Rashid Shaheed left the game with a concussion on an out of bounds hit by Mike Jackson.
Carolina benefited from an iffy pass interference penalty on Devon Witherspoon to keep its second quarter drive going. After converting 4th and 1 on a Mitchell Evans sneak, a 4th and 2 throw from Young to Tetairoa McMillan was incomplete on an all-out blitz. Carolina was offside so it wouldn’t have counted, but the field position sure benefited the Seahawks…
…Right up until Sam Darnold fumbled the ball. He dropped the snap, got strip-sacked by Nic Scourton, and after the Panthers fumbled the ball they fell on it again.
The defense did well to hold Carolina to a field goal after a 3rd and 2 run stuff. 3-3.
Words cannot describe the Seahawks’ two-minute offense. Jaxon Smith-Njigba got face masked without a penalty, which cost Seattle 15 valuable yards. An interception by Derrick Brown off a Cooper Kupp ricochet was overturned after video review. Kenneth Walker had an easy first down into field goal range but forgot to secure the football. Inside of two minutes, the fumbling player can advance the ball forward, which he did but a yard short of the sticks. Seattle hurried to call a sneak and while it looked like Sam Darnold converted, he was ruled short for a turnover on downs with :17 left. Carolina didn’t have enough time to get points before the ugliest of first halves concluded.
Seahawks-Panthers 2nd half recap
A kickoff out of bounds gifted the Seahawks the ball at the 40. Zach Charbonnet’s huge 29-yard run set the Seahawks up in the red zone, only for Sam Darnold to give it away on an interception in the end zone. Mike Jackson Sr revenge game is real. It looked like his right foot was out of bounds, but his left shin might have come down in bounds to uphold the pick.
TURNOVER! What is going on? DeMarcus Lawrence forced a fumble on Chuba Hubbard and had the recovery. His run back for the touchdown was rightly overturned as he was contacted on the ground.
Zach Charbonnet paid off this drive with a two-yard score to make it 10-3 Seahawks early in the third quarter.
PICK! Julian Love stepped in front of Tet McMillan and made Bryce Young pay for a poor pass. He returned the ball to Carolina’s 28-yard line for a second takeaway in as many possessions.
Sam Darnold hooked up with A.J. Barner on the play-action boot. Cooper Kupp got the key block and Barner rumbled in for his sixth touchdown of the season! What a quick turn of events! 17-3 Seahawks.
Carolina was not interested in rolling over. A 13-play, 69-yard drive took the remaining of the third quarter time off the clock and bled into the early stages of the fourth quarter. Bryce Young completed five consecutive passes and converted a 4th and 1 run on a scramble. Another scramble after everything was covered up got the Panthers into the end zone for the first time. 17-10 Seahawks.
It looked like the Seahawks would be punting after Sam Darnold took a terrible sack that set up 3rd and 16. A delay of game then made it 3rd and 21. Klint Kubiak dialed up a quick throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was face masked AGAIN and even poked in the eye for good measure. An all-timer of a bailout thanks to Jaycee Horn’s horrible penalty.
Darnold was on target to JSN two more times into the red zone. A touchdown by Cooper Kupp was dropped, and he was definitely held by Horn without a penalty. Good going, refs. Darnold scrambled short of the market on 3rd and goal, and after a delay of game to take time off the clock, Jason Myers knocked home his 39th made field goal on the year. 20-10 Seahawks with 5:33 left.
Bryce Young was sacked not once, but twice on a must-score drive. Boye Mafe and DeMarcus Lawrence both got him, then the 4th and 17 checkdown to McMillan wasn’t anywhere near the sticks. Turnover on downs and game over, realistically. Zach Charbonnet made sure of it with his second touchdown on his big day. 27-10 Seahawks with 2:31 to go. Carolina kneeled the ball out and that’s a wrap.
Full box score
Next week’s opponent
The Seahawks wrap up the regular season at the San Francisco 49ers (11-4). We don’t know yet the importance of that game or the kickoff time and date, so this article will update accordingly if/when the Week 18 schedule is released on Sunday night.
