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Seahawks Vs. Panthers: Divisional Playoff Gameday Predictions

By Paul Novak

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The Seattle Seahawks face their first opponent of the 2015 NFL Playoffs when the Carolina Panthers visit CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA on Saturday night.

The two teams have faced off against one another in each of the past three seasons with Seattle traveling to the East coast for all three meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Seahawks won the three games by four, five, and four points.

Carolina last came to Seattle for a 2010 matchup that the Seahawks won 31-14. Both Marshawn Lynch and Jonathan Stewart were the starting running backs but the two teams were led by different quarterbacks. Matt Hasselbeck was finishing his time with the Seahawks and Jimmy Clausen was… well, doing Jimmy Clausen things.

Although the past few games have been close and low scoring, it’ll be a different atmosphere with the 12th Man having their first crack in five years at showing the Panthers how we do the playoffs in Seattle.

Here are a few of my gameday predictions for the 2015 NFC Division Playoff game:

1. The Seahawks win by at least two touchdowns.

Seattle’s defense is playing the best that they have all season and the unit has had two weeks to rest. Bobby Wagner is coming off being named to not only the first team on the AP All-Pro team, but also earned NFC defensive player of the month honors for December.

Richard Sherman has been lights out as usual and the Seahawks have finally began to pressure opposing quarterbacks on a consistent basis over the last third of the regular season.

Since making some key substitutions to their defense, the Panthers have improved since the last time the two teams met. It won’t be enough to stop both the run and passing game of the Seattle Seahawks. If you plan to stop Lynch, Russell Wilson will beat you, and vice versa.

I doubt Cam Newton and co. can handle the playoff setting at CenturyLink Field well enough to defeat the NFC West champs on their own turf.

2. Marshawn Lynch goes full BEASTMODE.

The Panthers have been able to keep Marshawn somewhat at bay over the past three years, never surrendering more than 83 rushing yards to the All-Pro running back. A lot of that has to do with Lynch seeing limited carries.

Lynch has been used in the passing game more this season than in years past and that will factor into BEASTMODE going off for at least 150 total yards and two scores.

Having a healthy Max Unger back at center will help as well.

3. Seahawks hold the Panthers to under 250 total yards.

In their first playoff game the Panthers held the Arizona Cardinals to an NFL record 78 total yards on offense. Seattle won’t beat that record, mostly because the Panthers don’t have Ryan Lindley as their quarterback.

What Seattle can, and I expect them to do, is keep Cam Newton in check while not allowing Jonathan Stewart to get their run game going. A one-dimensional opposing offense is exactly what makes Seattle so dangerous on defense.

If Seattle’s defensive line and linebackers can suffocate Stewart, Newton will be forced to pass into the NFL’s most talented secondary. Which leads me to:

4. Cam Newton will be +6 in the Sack/INT stat line:

Seattle’s corners force quarterbacks to hold onto the ball longer than they’d like. If they do dump it off into the flat or middle of the field, safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are there to punish receivers.

That being said, I expect Newton to be pressured heavily and make mistakes throwing into coverage. If Newton holds on to the football as to avoid interceptions, he’ll pay the price and be sacked by the likes of Michael Bennett, Bruce Irvin and co.

5. Seahawks defeat the Panthers 27-10.

All the factors mentioned above will contribute to the Seahawks winning their fifth straight game against the Panthers after having rested the past two weeks.

The level of play by the defense on top of the fact it’s a home game for the Seahawks will be enough to cruise to a comfortable victory on Saturday night.

A victory would result in either the Packers or Cowboys coming to Seattle for a rematch of an earlier 2014 regular season game. Green Bay lost in Seattle in week one and the Cowboys shocked the NFL when they left Seattle victorious in week 6.

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