The Seattle Seahawks defeat the Carolina Panthers, notching their first win at home to expand to two straight victories.
The Seattle Seahawks returned to Lumen Field as they hosted the winless Carolina Panthers in week three.
The Panthers, short of their No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, were led by Andy “Red Rifle” Dalton — unpleasant news for Seahawks fans given Seattle’s reputation of losing to backup quarterbacks.
Regardless, the Seahawks prevailed, winning 37-27 to secure their first home victory of the season, now sporting a 2-1 record overall.
Seattle was, yet again, without their star safety Jamal Adams for Sunday’s game. Adams, who hasn’t taken the field since week one of last season, was trending toward playing this week, but precaution was taken to give Adams an extra week of rest as Seattle plans for his return next week.
Nonetheless, the Seahawks began their day with a quick three and out.
The Panthers took the ball 50 yards for the game’s first score, a 47-yard field goal. Seattle quickly matched it with their own 50-yard drive, capped off by a 43-yard field goal by Jason Myers.
Myers then scored Seattle’s next nine points in the first half, all while Carolina tallied 10 more points to make the score 13-12 Panthers at halftime.
Myers’ first-half performance was a good sign as he was three for his last six the previous two games, sparking some questions about Seattle’s Pro Bowl kicker.
Moreover, Geno Smith was under duress in the first half, throwing his first interception of the season in an attempt to lead the offense into the end zone.
Seattle entered the second half more composed and fluid on offense, scoring a field goal and three touchdowns.
Smith, behind his makeshift offensive line, looked more relaxed in the backfield, extending plays and being decisive with the ball. Smith eventually found his groove with DK Metcalf, connecting on six passes for 112 yards.
Though Metcalf seemed to be the focal point in the aerial attack, I would like to see Jaxon Smith-Njigba be more involved downfield and less around the line of scrimmage. He has too much talent to be wasted in the flats and on screens.
As much as Smith’s 296 passing yards were impactful, the run game determined the outcome. Kenneth Walker III’s 18 carries for 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns backed by Zach Charbonnet’s nine attempts for 46 yards allowed the Seahawks to control the flow of the second half.
Though Walker saw twice as many touches, Charbonnet is a special talent, and the more he gets settled into the offense, the more this backfield will become a two-headed monster.
Walker also contributed three catches for a career-high 59 yards, racking up a total of 156 yards throughout the game.
The surplus of Seahawks’ injuries continued with Damien Lewis suffering a hand injury and Tre Brown dealing with a concussion.
The absence of Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant already created pressure for rookie Devon Witherspoon, but the injury to Brown puts even more responsibility on Witherspoon.
In his second career start, the fifth overall pick stepped up and proved his value. With 13 targets in the game, Witherspoon only conceded one first down while defending two and rallying for a team-high 11 tackles — an elite showing from the talented prospect.
It is also worth noting that the Panthers are one of the league’s most penalized teams, and the noise generated by the 12s in Lumen Field influenced eight false starts by the Panthers — the most by any team since 2011 — ultimately changing the momentum.
Though the defense gave up 27 points on 378 yards, the blitz schemes dialed up by Seattle’s defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt were generating pressure — something I would like to see more of going forward.
The Seahawks will now enter their easier slate of games, starting on the road with the 1-2 New York Giants in week four on Monday Night Football.
Contact Eric Hayrapetian at Eric.hayrapetian@gmail.com
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