It's time for the NFC Divisional round, and to the surprise of pretty much everyone except for Panthers fans, an NFC South team made it!
Carolina squeezed into the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record, and while they might have been helped by Arizona's lack of a fully-functional quarterback, the Panthers are definitely getting hot at the right time. After starting out 3-8-1, Carolina won their last four games by an average of 17 points to seal their division and earn a spot in the Wild Card game.
Seattle also had an iffy start to the season, beginning their Super Bowl title defense with a 3-3 start that included losses to San Diego and St. Louis. The Seahawks rallied, though, and they're riding a six-game winning streak into their matchup with Carolina.
What To Watch For
- Beast Mode. Marshawn Lynch was a key factor in Seattle's strong finish to the season, and the Panthers will need to keep him quiet if they want a shot at pulling off the upset. That's easier said than done, though - Lynch averaged 5.8 yards per carry over his last three games, and there was also that time he bulldozed Arizona's top-notch defense for one of the most impressive touchdown runs of his career.
- Kelvin Benjamin vs. the Seattle Secondary. Benjamin recently became the 11th rookie in league history to record a 1,000 yard season in his first year in the league, and he quickly silenced everyone who thought the Panthers wouldn't have a downfield threat with Steve Smith out of the picture. As good as Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell are, they'll have their hands full with the 6'6 receiver out of Florida State.
- Can Luke Kuechly and co. stop Russell Wilson? The Panthers are uniquely well-designed to handle Wilson's style of play - Luke Kuechly is one of the league's top linebackers in pass coverage, and Carolina has traditionally found success against mobile quarterbacks who aren't used to airing it out.
- Will history repeat itself? These two teams met back in week 8, with Seattle eking out a 13-9 win thanks to Russell Wilson's last-minute TD pass. Both teams have come a long way since, but that game was in Carolina...and now the Panthers have to deal with the Seahawks on Seattle's notoriously unfriendly home turf.
Predictions
- Sorry, fans of offensive shootouts: no one is setting any scoring records in this game. These are two elite defensive teams, and while both run the ball well, neither is designed to score points in bunches.
- Marshawn Lynch is going to have a very big day. Lynch struggled in the week 8 matchup, gaining just 62 yards on 14 carries...but that was before he got his groove back in the second half. With the 12th Man behind him, look for Lynch to have a big game.
- Cam Newton will struggle. Newton has tried to do too much at times this season, and that won't be helpful against a team like the Seahawks that forces turnovers for fun. Newton has been turning the ball over at his highest rate since his rookie year, and that isn't a good sign when he's up against Seattle's swarming defense.
- Seattle wins, 20-6. While both these teams are peaking at the right time, Seattle's peak is just...well, higher. This is a team that feeds off their home-field advantage, and the fact that they already beat Carolina on the road doesn't bode well for the Panthers.
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