Who had this on their NFL bingo card?
After a disastrous 1-5 start, the Carolina Panthers are currently 5-8 and in second place in the NFC South. The notion of winning the division and even sneaking into the playoffs, which once seemed out of the question, is now in the realm of possibility.
Carolina’s 30-24 upset of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14 and the Niners’ 35-7 beatdown of the Buccaneers have the team only one game out of first place in the division. This is how the Panthers got here following their huge win Sunday.
Ground Attack
As I mentioned in my keys to the game, Seattle has struggled to acclimate to a new 3-4 defensive scheme. Their vulnerability in this scheme is their rush defense. Carolina exploited that weakness for 223 yards and two touchdowns on 46 attempts. The Panthers’ run game allowed them to dominate the time of possession-39:16 to the Seahawks’ 20:44.
The Panthers’ 223 total yards at face value don’t really stick out. But when you look at how those yards were gained with Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman rushing for 74 yards each and Raheem Blackshear chipping in with 32 yards, the attack was well-balanced
Efficient Darnold
Sam Darnold’s numbers against the Seahawks were not flashy. He only threw for 120 yards and recorded a passing rating of 85.4. However, he completed 58 percent of his passes, didn’t turn the ball over, and threw a touchdown. Despite not having the numbers, Darnold contributed to Carolina’s early 17-point lead by attacking the flats in the secondary and moving the chains. He operated in a decent pocket for most of the game and delivered short passes within play-action sets.
Darnold also helped on the ground, running for 30 yards on the day. He could have scored a rushing touchdown in the Panthers’ red zone opportunity in the third quarter, but he hesitated and forced a pass when it wasn’t available. Despite the missed opportunity, Darnold managed the game well-doing just enough to hold it down and trust his guys.
Pressure Applied
The Panthers’ defense once again delivered, as they sliced through the Seahawks’ O-line and disrupted their pocket protection and prescience and made Geno Smith uncomfortable all game long. Carolina harassed and pressured Smith into throwing two interceptions and sacking him three times. Carolina’s swarming defense also shut down Seattle’s run game, only allowing 46 yards on 14 attempts.
Linebacker Frankie Luvu continues to show off his versatility, registering four tackles, a sack and a deflection. He was also key in disrupting the pocket and stifling Smith and the Seahawks’ offense with his ability to get through the O-Line.
Wilks Postgame
When asked whether or not this upset win in Seattle was an emotional win, interim head coach Steve Wilks admitted that this win was emotional. That’s not all he did. He also revealed more in a detailed answer.
“I’m just so thrilled and so happy for those guys in the locker room,” Wilks shared. “Coaches do a tremendous job in game planning and putting these guys in position. But all the credit goes to those players and how they go out there and perform and finish. And with everything we’ve gone through, they’ve got through with the different coaching changes, getting rid of players, the organization trying to tank it-all those different things. And to see how those guys responded and came out today, it’s pretty thrilling and emotional”
At 1-5 during the first half of the season, the apathy was obvious and the tank was on. What wasn’t expected was Wilks showing that he had enough heart and pride to not let this team stoop even lower than what they already were. His honesty and transparency in his pressure just add to his case to be officially the next head coach of the Panthers.