Hello CSR! I apologize for the delay, but happy holidays to you all! On Sunday, the Panthers face off against an NFC playoff contenders in the Seattle Seahawks, and former Panthers QB Sam Darnold who has since been on a redemption tour after they let him walk. The Panthers defense has been very good at times this year, but they’ve been punched in the mouth a few times as well. The NFC South crown could be on the line with a Panthers win and a Dolphins win over the Buccaneers, while the Seahawks are fighting to maintain the number one seed in the NFC playoffs. So needless to say, both teams will be showing up for this bout. Let’s dive into the Panthers defensive matchup.
- Limit Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The breakout wide receiver star of this season is JSN in my opinion, as a proud fantasy owner. He’s caught 104 passes (5th in the league) for 1,637 yards (1st) and 10 TDs (tied for 3rd). The next closest receiver on their roster to him in yardage is Cooper Kupp with 558. JSN is the engine of their passing attack, on a hot streak. He will draw 1st team Pro Bowler Jaycee Horn, and Mike Jackson who is himself having a career season. Of all matchups to pay attention to, Horn and JSN duking it out is arguably the biggest one of the weekend. JSN is their passing attack, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jack will have their hands full on Sunday. I don’t expect Jaycee to be shadowing JSN since that’s just not what Ejiro Evero does on defense, but if there’s ever a Sunday to dial up a change-up, this is the one.
- Get after Sam Darnold. Our old friend Sam Darnold has thrown for 3,703 yards for Seattle this season, throwing 13 interceptions and being sacked 22 times. This Seattle offensive line has done a pretty decent job of keeping him protected and upright, leading to a potential first round bye and home field advantage in the playoffs. The biggest way to defeat this Seahawks squad is going to be getting after Sam Darnold and channeling the version of him that doesn’t see the field well and makes mistakes. The Panthers have been terrible at generating pressure without blitzing, so calling up some exotic blitzes and coverage packages is going to be key. Last week, the Panthers outlasted the Bucs and fellow former Panthers QB Baker Mayfield, while only getting two QB hits and two sacks. They did just enough to win, and they’ll be facing a similar situation here.
- Lock down the rushing attack. While Seattle’s been known for JSN and its passing attack, their rushing game is quietly a focal point as well. They are 3rd in rushing play %, and 8th in rushes per game, so they will be feeding running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. The two have combined for almost 1400 rushing yards as a group, and while Seattle’s rushing...
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