This week, Qwest Field in Seattle will be alive and kicking with the 12th man as the defending Superbowl Champion Seattle Seahawks host the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. The 12-4 Seahawks will enter the game as an 11 point favorite against a Panthers team that is 8-8-1 on the year. I think this game will be closer than most people say, so let’s get right into the advantages and disadvantages that each team will have when they have the ball for this week Divisional Week Preview.
When the Seahawks have the ball:
The Seahawks entire offense, with no offense to QB Russell Wilson, is predicated on RB Marshawn Lynch rushing the football and running over defenders. He has done just that most of the year as he ended up with 1306 rushing yards and 13 TDs. The Seahawks have the #1 rushing attack in the league with 173 yards per game, led by Lynch and Wilson, who also had 849 yards and 6 TDs. The Panthers are average against the run, ranking 16th and giving up 112 yards per game, but have been better in recent weeks during their five game winning streak.
What the Panthers want to do is make Russell Wilson beat them with his arm. They have the 11th ranked defense against the pass giving up only 228 yards per game, while Russell and the Seahawks offense relies so much on the run that they only threw for 203 yards per game in the air. LB Luke Kuechly seems to be on a mission recently and America just cannot wait till that 1st time that he and Marshawn Lynch butt heads in a one on one open field battle. Essentially, the winner of that battle could be the key winner in the game overall.
When the Panthers have the ball:
The reason why I think this game will be closer than most may think is because the Panthers want to do the same exact thing that Seattle wants to do. The Panthers have gone on this wining streak by running the football with RB Jonathan Stewart. Their running game and defense is also the reason this team was a Superbowl contender just a year ago. Carolina is 7th in the league in rushing with 127 yards per game, but have ramped it up lately, while the Seahawks have the 3rd best rush defense in the league, allowing only 82 yards per game. This will be a battle of wills.
While the offensive line has done well run blocking, they have clearly had their problems trying to protect QB Cam Newton. Despite their quarterback being sacked 42 times this year, the Panthers still threw for an average of 219 yards per game, ranking 19th. The Seahawks pass defense and secondary, also known as the “Legion of Boom” is the best pass defense in the league, giving up only 186 yards per game. With a leaky offensive line and bad mechanics this year by Newton, this game could get out of hand fast if the Panthers are forced to pass.
The golden rule in all playoff games is run the ball, play defense, and don’t turn the ball over. These two teams both want to do that and execute that to the tee. A lot of people look at Carolina, see their record and don’t think they can stay with the powerful Seattle team. However, you may think again if you look at how Carolina has played the last 5 weeks, and think back to when this team was a top contender last year with another year of experience. The four teams that beat Seattle this year all ran for over 100 yards and held them to 26 points or less. Those will be the magic numbers for Carolina. Can they get to numbers and NOT turn the ball over? I guess we’ll all have to tune in Saturday Night and find out. Enjoy the games.
Prediction: Seahawks 20, Panthers 13
