After road letdown, Seahawks look to get back on track against Panthers
By Andy Larkin
After a rough week in Tampa Bay, the Seattle Seahawks must get back on track this week against the Carolina Panthers.
Week twelve was nothing short of a train wreck for the Seattle Seahawks. With a Sunday night showdown looming against the Carolina Panthers the Seahawks must now focus on righting the ship.
It’s no secret that the Seahawks looked as bad as they have all season last weekend in Tampa Bay. In a game that rivaled the ugliness of the team’s loss in LA and tie in the desert, the Seahawks suffered a 14-5 defeat at the hands of the Buccaneers.
It was ugly, it was embarrassing, and it was unexpected. There really isn’t much else to be said about it other than that. It’s time for the Seahawks to turn their focus to what lays ahead.
What lays ahead begins with this week’s match-up against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football. A home game against a below .500 team is a game Seattle needs to win if they want keep pace for a first round bye. Yes, the Panthers are probably better than their 4-7 record indicates, but at some point you are what you are, and Carolina is 7 loss team. They are not the elite team we saw a year ago. In simpler terms, Seattle needs to beat Carolina on Sunday.
Will it be easy? Probably not. But then again when is winning in the NFL ever easy? Okay fine, beating the Cleveland Browns is probably fairly easy. Unfortunately the Panthers aren’t the Browns and they are going to do everything they can to create problems for the Seahawks on Sunday.
Don’t tell Carolina they’re out of it. They’ve been competitive all year and won’t believe they’re eliminated from postseason contention until it’s official. In the ever crazy NFC South this Panther team still has lofty goals. Believe this, Carolina will throw their best punch Sunday and Seattle better be ready. After all, the Panthers bested the Seahawks twice last year, which included an impressive come from behind win at CenturyLink Field.
As desperate as the Panthers are to get a win to prolong their fleeting playoff hopes, it may all be in vain. Don’t be surprised if Seattle comes out playing with a sense of urgency. As much as they’ve dismissed it and have said last week was just an off game, you can bet this team has been stewing over a humiliating performance. They will be eager to prove that they are still an elite team on a national stage. The entire organization is full of fierce competitors, starting with coach Caroll. Pete will have his team chomping at the bit to go out and prove themselves and erase the bad taste last week left in their collective mouths.
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The Seahawks better be locked in for this one. A win on Sunday could propel them to a strong finish while a loss would provide reason for concern down the stretch. Which team will show up? We’ll know come Sunday night.