The Seahawks won a game Sunday against a division rival on the road. That is always a good thing. More accurately, Geno Smith and the Seahawks pass attack won that game with little help from other parts of the team. Seattle was once again shameful in run defense and at running the ball.
They have newfound hope, however, that a division title may not be a total fantasy given the 49ers have lost not one, but two, starting quarterbacks. It is a long shot, but any path there reasonably requires a win against this Panthers team.
The problem is that the Panthers, despite their 4-8 record and having Sam Darnold as a quarterback, actually profile as exactly the type of team to give Seattle trouble. Carolina relies heavily on the run game. They are 4-2 when rushing for more than 100 yards, and their only two losses were by 3 points each. For the math challenged out there, that makes them 0-6 when being held under 100 yards on the ground. A much better run defense than Seattle that is toiling away in Denver gave up 185 yards on the ground to the Panthers in Carolina’s last game.
They also have a stronger pass defense than run defense, holding opposing QBs to the 10th worst passer rating of any team in the league. The also have a solid interior pass rusher, where Seattle is weakest on the offensive line.
None of this means the Panthers should win this game. Seattle’s strengths are more valuable than the Panthers, but this projects to be a challenging matchup for the Seahawks, and one they could lose if they continue to stop absolutely nobody on the ground.
The way this works: Each offense will be pitted against the opposing defense and compared on an array of key statistical attributes based on their respective rank in the NFL. The tables that follow show the rank of each unit for each of these categories.
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Seahawks Offense vs Panthers Defense
Panthers key advantages on defense
Plenty of fans probably know the name Brian Burns. He is an up-and-coming edge rusher who has tallied 53 pressures so far this season. Fewer fans know the names Derrick Brown and Matt Ioannidis. Both play inside and have generated a fair amount of pressure themselves. Brown has 27 pressures and Ioannidis has 28. By comparison, the top interior rusher for the Seahawks is Shelby Harris, who has 23 pressures.
They also have a decent secondary that has managed to limit explosive plays.
Seahawks key advantages on offense
Smith is coming off one of his best games. He will need to carry this team again. The run game will likely be a problem with Kenneth Walker a question mark and the run blocking struggling. Tight ends could again be important, although the Panthers are 12th best in the NFL at defending that position.
Panthers Offense vs Seahawks Defense
Panthers key advantages on offense
D’Onta Foreman is a physical running back, who is not as talented as Josh Jacobs, but has similar qualities. Yikes. Chuba Hubbard is not a bad change of pace and receiver out of the backfield.
D.J. Moore is one of the best receivers in the game, and can create big plays. Look for them to isolate on Michael Jackson if Seattle stubbornly insists on playing him again. Sam Darnold has been known to break the pocket and run.
Seahawks key advantages on defense
Seattle’s biggest advantage might be there is an end zone that stops an opponent from continuing to push them endlessly around the planet. How this defense went from so awful to so good to so awful is mind boggling. The possibility remains that they somehow swing back the other way.
This is a bad Panthers offense. Seattle needs them to make mistakes and be bad.
Special Teams
Two of the top special teams units in the NFL clash in this one.
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