3 Seattle Seahawks to watch versus Carolina Panthers in Week 3

Seahawks player to watch No. 1 - Linebacker Bobby Wagner

Bobby Wagner has played superbly in each of his first two games back with the Seahawks. He had 18 tackles in Week 1 and 10 tackles in Week 2. Wagner has been an impressive force in the Seahawks new and improved run defense.

With the Panthers facing questions at quarterback with Bryce Young dealing with an ankle injury, Carolina could look to run the ball more in Week 3. The Panthers had a big day on the ground against Seattle in 2022 and will likely try to run the ball more to exploit the Seahawks' past weakness. Bobby Wagner is going to be tasked with leading the Seahawks' defense and stopping the Panthers' rushing attack.

The Seahawks allowed an average of 150.2 yards rushing per game in 2022. In 2023, they have allowed an average of 97 yards per game on the ground this season. Clearly, the addition of Bobby Wagner has helped the Seahawks defense make significant improvements to their run defense.

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Panthers have the ninth-best rushing offense in the league. Averaging 127 yards per game on the ground, led by new running back Miles Sanders, who leads the team with 115 yards rushing in 2023. Statistically, the Panthers have the best-rushing offense of the teams Seattle has faced in 2023. Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks defense will have their work cut out for them on Sunday.