The Carolina Panthers are facing a major challenge when they welcome the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Russell Wilson and the crew are a proven playoff team and their facing off against a unit in the Panthers that many people are still questioning. The Panthers’ defense needs to step up big against a team that is very similar across the board.
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Looking back to their matchup in early October, the Panthers were able to get out of Seattle with a win due to a last minute scoring drive. This time around the Panthers need to keep the Seahawks offense in check and that’s a huge improvement over how they played in this first meeting.
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The Seahawks used a very balanced attack to score 23 points and nearly end the talks of the Panthers going undefeated early in the year. They did so with a balanced attack in the air and on the ground. The combination of Marshawn Lynch and Wilson with Thomas Rawls gained 115 yards rushing. This caused the Panthers linebackers to have to play closer to the line of scrimmage. The result allowed Jimmy Graham to have a huge outing of 140 yards on eight catches.
The whole situation hinged on how well the defensive line performed in getting consistent pressure on Wilson while bottling up the running game. Coming into this Sunday’s matchup the Panther’s need to stay focused on keeping Seattle’s run game in check.
Rawls performed exceptionally well throughout the year as he’s gained 830 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per attempt. When combined with Wilson they create a two-headed attack that is on par with Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart. The defensive line must contain both of these individuals as they have done for much of the season.
The Carolina linebackers and defensive backs will also play a key part in how well this game goes. Josh Norman and Kurt Coleman are two of the most dangerous defensive backs in the league and will be tuned into Graham and Doug Baldwin. Carolina’s defense consistently shut down big name receivers throughout the year and this is another challenge that needs to be conquered.
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Recent games between the Seahawks and Panthers have been close, defensive battles for the most part. This game creates an interesting dynamic in that the Panthers are facing a team that is built very similar to their own strengths. In order to win and move closer to a Super Bowl, Carolina needs to defeat a team that is a mirror image in many ways.