Seahawks winners and losers from defeat of Panthers week 15

The Seahawks beat the Panthers 30-24 on Sunday. Here are the reasons why and what could have been better for Seattle in week 15.

Rejoice, 12s! The Seahawks are now 11-3 in really what could have been a retooling season. On Sunday, Seattle was without Jadeveon Clowney, Mychal Kendricks, Ziggy Ansah and Shaquill Griffin to start the game on defense and finished without all those guys plus without Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs, but Seattle won 30-24. Maybe the Panthers scoring 14 late points had a good reason: Seattle had few healthy bodies left.

Still, a win is a win. And here are the winners and losers for the Seahawks in week 15.

Winners

Chris Carson

Carson now has 1,190 yards on the season and is getting better at the year goes on. He has averaged over 5 yards a rush in each of the last two weeks. Against Carolina in week 15, Carson ran for 133 yards on 24 carries and had two touchdowns. Carson is going to have to be a beast for rest of the season with Rashaad Penny being injured and out for the season, and Carson was on Sunday. Just as Carson has been for most of his career.

Bobby Wagner

Wagner was in on 10 tackles and had an interception. He had another pass defended as well. In fact, not that the Seahawks ever take for granted Wagner’s value, but when he was injured late in the game, the Panthers drove easily downfield for a touchdown. Without Wagner, the Seattle defense is well in the bottom half of the league.

Russell Wilson to Tyler Lockett

For a few weeks, this connection has not been so fluid. Lockett has either been injured or sick and has not been the same player. Until week 15, that is. Wilson targeted Lockett 9 times and Lockett caught 8 of them for 120 yards and a touchdown. Lockett now just needs 6 yards to go over 1,000 receiving yards for the season.

Losers

Seahawks coaching staff at the end of the game

Part of the issue with the Panthers scoring fairly easily late in the fourth quarter had to do with so many Seattle players being injured and out of the game. However, the defensive calls of Ken Norton Jr. did nothing to slow Carolina from picking up chunk yards and driving straight downfield. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer didn’t help the defense either by calling a low-percentage sideline pass on 3rd and medium late in the fourth to try to keep a drive alive. How about a short pass over the middle or even a run? Anything but what he called.

More Seattle injuries

The Seahawks already started off without Clowney and company, but during the course of the game saw Wagner, Lano Hill and Quandre Diggs go out too. After the game it appeared Wagner might be OK for next week, but Diggs hurt his ankle and could be out for a bit. Since becoming a starter with Seattle he has helped transform the defense into a decent unit. He would be missed should he miss much time.