SEATTLE — The Carolina Panthers saved their best performance of the season for when they needed it most, picking up a huge road win to keep their hopes of an NFC South division title alive.
They took advantage of a sloppy start by the Seahawks to build a 17-0 lead early and used their devastating ground game to run away with a 30-24 win that did not feel as close as the final score would indicate.
After registering only 3 points on their opening drive, the Carolina offense was gifted fantastic field position by Jaycee Horn's interception of Geno Smith on Seattle's first play of the game. Darnold and co. wasted no time as the quarterback found Shi Smith for a 13-yard touchdown. Number 12 scoring his first career touchdown in a stadium largely celebrated for their "12th man" persona was an irony not lost on me.
Seattle's offense would only muster 12 yards in the first quarter and would watch from the sidelines as the Panthers took their third possession down the field for a 12-play, 74-yard scoring drive. Chubba Hubbard had the honor of punching in the short-yardage touchdown that gave Carolina a 17-0 lead with just over 12 minutes to play in the second quarter.
The Seahawks' explosive offense would finally strike back as Geno Smith found Marquise Goodwin for a 38-yard pass that got them into Carolina territory for the first time. A few plays later Smith would connect with his favorite target, and perennial Panther-Killer, Tyler Locket for their first touchdown of the game.
Geno Smith would throw another interception on their next possession, this time CJ Henderson stepping in front of the pass. The Panthers could only add a field goal. With time ticking down Smith led the Seahawks right down the field and connected with DK Metcalf for a touchdown just before halftime. That play, just like the passes to Goodwin and Lockett, took place on a third down.
Up until that Metcalf touchdown to end the first half, the Panthers felt fully in control of the game. When the Seahawks marched down the field to open the third quarter it felt as if the game was starting to slip away from Carolina. A big third-down stop by the defense forced the Seahawks to kick a field goal, which would end up being the only points scored in the quarter.
It was not for a lack of trying. On their second drive of the second half, the Panthers would find themselves with a 1st and goal from the 3-yard line. Despite the success of their run game up to that point, Carolina opted to throw four straight passes, all of which fell incomplete.
Needing a big stop from their defense in a tight 20-17 game, two of their stars, and leaders on defense, played like stars. Brian Burns and Shaq Thompson were able to sack Smith to force a punt.
Using a heavy dose of a rushing attack that was gashing a tired Seattle defense, Carolina once again found themselves deep in the red zone. Learning from the mistakes of their last possession, they handed the ball off to Raheem Blackshear who scampered into the endzone from 8 yards out. On that 10-play drive, the Panthers handed the ball off 8 times for 68 yards. It was also their 4th drive of the game that lasted more than 5 minutes.
The next Seahawks possession came inches away from ending on Horn's second interception of the day but the Panthers' defense was able to force a quick three and out.
Carolina's offense would not throw another pass in the game, once again milking the clock with a successful run game. After wasting all of Seattle's time-outs and working the clock below the two-minute warning, Eddie Pinero kicked his third field goal of the game to give the Panthers a 30-17 lead.
The Seahawks would ultimately score after a low-effort play by the Panthers' defense that will surely be highlighted by interim Head Coach Steve Wilks during film study but the result was unaffected.
The Panthers picked up their first road win of the season and with Tampa Bay's embarrassing loss to the 49ers, they now control their own destiny in the NFC South.
After the game, an emotional Steve Wilks talked about how proud of his team he was for shutting out the exterior noise and hectic circumstances of this year. "All the credit goes to those players and how they go out there and perform and finish. With everything that we've gone through, that they've gone through with the different coaching changes, getting rid of players, with the organization trying to tank it. All those different things and to see how those guys respond and see how they played today, it is pretty emotional yes."
Sitting just a game back of the Bucs, who they play in week 17, if the Panthers were to win their next 4 games, they would be crowned NFC South champions for the first time since 2015. 2015 is a season that will get any Panthers fan nostalgic but this team is not like that highly explosive offense that stormed through the regular season.
That doesn't mean they don't induce a nostalgia of their own. Watching the Panthers' offense run for 223 yards harkened back to the late Delhomme era of "Smash and Dash". Even the defense played the part by forcing the Seahawks to become dimensional, and ultimately, unsuccessful for the better part of 3 quarters.
Wilks has been clear about his disdain for the "t" word and over the last few weeks has constantly reminded his team, and the media, what it takes to be a playoff team.
I'll admit that I never bought into the idea of the Panthers playing themselves into a playoff position, a la 2014.
Well, here we are.
Four games remaining. Their destiny is in their hands. A leader, with no guarantees beyond this year, constantly reminding them to take it one day at a time. To not let "it" beat you, no matter what that "it" is.
To Keep Pounding.
Odds and Ends
-The Panthers are now 5-8, second in the NFC South standings, just a game back of the 6-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers hold tiebreakers over each of their division rivals at the moment.
-223 Team rushing yards were the second most yards on the ground this season, trailing Week 10's win over Atlanta (232)
- Just the third time this season the Panthers have not turned the ball over. They are 3-0 in those games.
- The win gives the Panthers consecutive wins for the first time since 2021's 3-0 start.