The Carolina Panthers have a great opportunity to steal a Week 14 Win in Seattle. Their matchup has all the characteristics of a trap game for the home team. Immediately in front of them is a team that’s been struggling for most of the season and has been perceived as a rebound or ‘ a get right’ team that opponents use as jump starters when they need a win. Three days later, the team in front of them is a division rival with divisional implications.
Conventional wisdom and common sense would indicate that the Seahawks would be looking ahead to their Thursday matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers could use the element of surprise to their advantage and steal one on the road and here are two ways they could do it. Since the Panthers’ defense is expected to pressure and disrupt Geno Smith and the Seahawks’ offense, the emphasis here is on what Carolina could do offensively to help a stout and consistent defense.
Implementing The Eligible Receivers
In their Week 12 win against Denver, the Panthers used extra linemen on their offensive possessions. They used guard Cade Mays and tackle Cameron Erving as ‘eligible receivers’ for added pocket protection and run blocking. Since quarterback Sam Darnold will be making his second start of the season while the status of running back D’Onta Foreman is to be determined, using linemen as eligible receivers wouldn’t be a bad thing. Those extra linemen provided a clean pocket to operate against the third-best defense in the league and created running lanes for Foreman. Using this alignment against the 30th-ranked defense in the league should be a no-brainer.
Picking Apart The Defense
It is a given that Carolina will establish the run regardless of who’s in the backfield. Don’t look for that to change against the Seahawks. However, there are opportunities that the Panthers must take in the passing game. Sam Darnold was efficient in Week 11. He managed the game and didn’t do too much. The Seahawks have been struggling defensively, mainly because they are still adjusting to an alignment change. Seattle is now a 3-4 team. With this change and a struggling personnel in that system, it should allow Darnold to go through all of his progressions and alternatives if DJ Moore is locked down. Darnold should make the most of short routes before testing the Seahawks’ secondary.
