Okay, so the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did less than nothing against the Los Angeles Rams and Baker Mayfield got hurt in the process. That stings for the NFC West race, which has the Rams in pole position while
the Seattle Seahawks need to see LA stumble at least once more outside of their Week 16 rematch in Seattle.
There is reason to still believe the San Francisco 49ers are dangerous even with all of their defensive injuries. Ricky Pearsall is back, Brock Purdy is back, George Kittle has been back, and they’re 7-4 with a very easy schedule for the bulk of the rest of the season. The Carolina Panthers, who are like the Seahawks’ satellite team in Charlotte, are a surprising 6-5 and have a famous road win over the Green Bay Packers. Dave Canales is a former Seahawks assistant coach, there are several ex-Pete Carroll staffers now serving under Dave, Damien Lewis has been one of the top guards in the league, Mike Jackson Sr is one of Carolina’s starting corners, and general manager Dan Morgan was once part of the Seahawks front office. In Year 3 of the Bryce Young era, the Panthers have gone from the cellar to a legitimate (but tough) chance to win the NFC South.
All of this is to say…
GO PANTHERS!
