Top 3 keys to victory for Seattle Seahawks versus Carolina Panthers in Week 3
The Seattle Seahawks (1-1) take on the Carolina Panthers (0-2) in an interesting Week 3 matchup. In Week 2 the Seahawks got their season back on track with a statement win against the Detroit Lions 37-31 in the Motor City.
This win was not just a season readjustment win, but it told the rest of the league a few things. The first, last season was no stroke of luck for quarterback Geno Smith, he can play. The second, the Seahawks are one of the better teams in the league, as we just beat the favored Lions on the road.
They don't want no smoke!
Geno Smith was fantastic in this one, going 32-41, for 328 yards, and 2 TDs. Fantasy owners celebrated while Seahawks fans breathed a sigh of relief. Last season was no fluke- Geno is a capable starting quarterback. Breathe 12s, our season is far from over and the expectations are still sky high.
The Carolina Panthers on the other hand are a rebuilding team with a few shiny new toys. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young looks like a rookie on a rebuilding team. I hope that it stays that way on Sunday. Lets have a look at the top 3 keys to victory for the Seattle Seahawks versus the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.
Seahawks need to dominate Bryce Young
The first key is to throw quarterback Bryce Young off of this game. This should not to be that difficult. The Seahawks need to pressure Young and knock him off his game. Last week, Young struggled at home big time against a Saints team that is 2-0 and has not really played that well. Young was talented enough in college to go number one overall in the NFL Draft, but he is not a very good NFL quarterback, two games into his career (not saying he won't be one).
Both of his first two NFL starts were not all that great and I do not believe that he is going to get that much better in 7 days. Real talk.
The Seattle pass rush needs to get after him, and the secondary needs to blanket his average-at-best, receiving group. If the secondary can buy the front 7 enough time to get in Young's face, it could be a long afternoon for the rookie. Young is small (5'10) and looks like a 'middle schooler on the field' (the words of my daughter). Like other small quarterbacks (Kyler Murray, Doug Flutie) he most likely struggles seeing over his line. We need to keep him in the pocket and ruin his day.
Despite his small stature, he is crafty enough to extend plays and has a strong enough arm to punish defenses who under estimate him. Plain and simple- we need to dominate him.
Quite possibly the biggest method in taking Young out of the game will be us, the 12s. It is not very often that fans are mentioned as a key factor in a game, but the Seattle faithful can cause fits for most quarterbacks, yet alone this rookie. If we do what we do, and get loud, we will throw off Young and the entire offense.