Closing Thoughts: Short-Handed Seahawks Stick to Script While Beating Panthers

Russell Wilson and Chris Carson starred on offense while a patchwork defense does just enough to vault Seattle into the top spot in NFC playoff race.

Stop me if you've seen this movie before:

• Once again, against the Panthers in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, the Seahawks had fans holding their hearts in their throats.

• Once again, an early lead dissolved into a tense fourth-quarter battle.

• Once again, Russell Wilson and Chris Carson had to come to the aid of a struggling defense.

• Once again... the Seahawks won, and clinched a playoff spot in beating Carolina 30-24 in the process.

It’s a script that, if green lit by Hollywood, would certainly be categorized as a suspenseful thriller, but for many fans may feel like a horror film. To others around the country, it might even be viewed as a comedy.

“I don’t like Seattle because I don’t like them defensively,” said Hall of Fame cornerback turned NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders on Sunday. “Russell is bailing them out.”

Be that as it may, this Seahawk team just keeps winning. I’ve described it in this column all season long as a phenomenon worth admiring instead of lamenting. It’s not always easy or pretty, but it keeps on working. Sunday, it worked again versus a 5-8 Panthers team with an all-world running back and nothing to lose. A 13-0 first quarter lead made it appear as if this would be an easy day at the office for Seattle, but Seahawk fans know better.

The ups, downs, highlights, and lowlights of yet another nail-biting Seattle win fill up my Closing Thoughts this week:

PATCHWORK DEFENSE HAD JUST ENOUGH IN THE TANK

The Seahawks went into Sunday’s game missing four key defensive starters - and then lost two more after halftime in Carolina. Already minus defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, linebacker Michael Kendricks and cornerback Shaquill Griffin entering the game, the fan base as a whole had to be holding their breath as both safety Quandre Diggs and linebacker Bobby Wagner limped off the field with ankle injuries in the second half. Any criticism of Seattle’s inability to hold what was at one point a 30-10 fourth quarter lead completely ignores the fact that the Seahawks were essentially fielding a second-string defense down the stretch. At one point even K.J. Wright was briefly banged up, leaving the linebacker chores to the trio of Cody Barton, Ben Burr-Kirven, and Shaquem Griffin.

The news on Diggs is not good, as he is expected to miss at least this week’s contest against Arizona. Wagner said after the game he felt like he was OK, but all eyes will be on his status throughout the week.

According to Carroll, Ansah, Griffin, Kendricks, and Clowney could all return to face the Cardinals. And while concerns about the defense may be warranted given their 27th overall rankings in yards allowed per game, when relatively healthy, it’s a unit that came up big in wins over San Francisco and Philadelphia earlier this month.

Just how far the Seahawks can go in the playoffs could come down to the performance of a defense looking a lot like a M*A*S*H unit today.

CARSON LOOKS READY TO HANDLE THE LOAD

With Rashaad Penny set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in last week’s loss to the Rams, the Seahawks lost what had become a dynamic two-back tandem. Not to worry, as Chris Carson looked every bit the part of leading man against the Panthers. While most of the pregame spotlight was shining on his All Pro counterpoint Christian McCaffery, Carson’s performance (23 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns) was Oscar-worthy. He shredded the Carolina defense with quick-hitters inside, spectacular outside dashes, and a battering-ram six yard touchdown that turned a 4th and 1 into six points.

While C.J. Prosise managed five carries as Carson’s primary understudy, he won’t be ascending to Penny-like status anytime soon. For the Seahawks to win the division, Carson will likely need to repeat his dominant performance over the final two weeks of the season.

AND SPEAKING OF THAT FOURTH DOWN

Coach Pete Carroll has taken some extreme heat (including from yours truly) for his hesitancy to be bold on fourth and short calls in enemy territory, and indeed he stayed true to form when he called a timeout to think about going for it on another 4th and 1 with 0:32 left in the third quarter before settling for a 32-yard Jason Myers field goal.

But with 7:23 remaining in the game and facing another 4th and 1 at the Panthers six-yard line, Carroll dialed up the aforementioned Carson run that resulted in a score. Ultimately, that proved to be their final score of the day and the eventual margin of victory.

“There wasn't a sweeter play than going for it on fourth down,” said Carroll after the game.

Is he turning a new leaf? That remains to be seen, but it marks the second time we’ve seen fourth down aggressiveness from Carroll in the last three weeks - the successful fake punt against the Vikings being the other. As the games elevate in importance these final two weeks and into the postseason, so too will those crucial moments and decisions within each game.

RUSSELL BEING RUSSELL

A quick glance at the box score and you’d think Russell Wilson just had another efficient, solid game, but you’d be wrong. His 20-for-26 effort for 286 yards and two touchdowns was much more dramatic than it appeared on paper. Perfectly placed deep passes to Josh Gordon and Tyler Lockett keyed scoring drives, and his scoring throw to rookie DK Metcalf was a thing of beauty. But the highlight of the day for Wilson was his 26th and final pass. 

With 2:24 remaining, a scrambling Wilson found Lockett for 14 yards after being flushed from the pocket. The result was a first down that allowed Seattle to run out the clock and ice the victory. He was extremely effective Sunday, showing us one again his ability to bounce back from uneven performances such as the one he had last week in Los Angeles. It’s no secret that he’s going to have to be outstanding for the Seahawks to advance deep into the playoffs.

QUICK THOUGHTS

• Kudos to the offensive line. While Wilson was sacked twice, it seemed like he generally had a good pocket and ample time to throw against one of the best pass rushing teams in the league, and they obviously controlled the line of scrimmage in the running game.

• Rasheem Green continues to grow, and his progression in his second year has been one of the bright spots of the season. After another sack against Carolina, he now leads the team with four sacks and will be a factor in the closing stretch.

• Cody Barton was all over the field collecting 10 tackles while starting in place of the injured Kendricks. And a pass tipped by Bobby Wagner would have likely been his first NFL interception if it had gone untouched. When Wagner left the game, it was Barton who slid over to his middle linebacker spot and was making the defensive calls. The rookie third round draft pick looked the part of NFL starter.

• Gordon’s catch on that 58-yard pass from Wilson was spectacular, but that was his only target. That needs to change. Gordon has too much talent to waste, and as teams key on Lockett and Metcalf, there should be more opportunities for him to make an impact.

• Speaking of Metcalf, he’s now up to 52 catches for 819 yards and six touchdowns. What a steal the rookie has turned out to be as a late second round pick. Remember when he was projected as a top-15 pick before a questionable scouting combine performance damaged his draft stock? With those numbers, he would have been considered a value pick even if he had indeed gone that high.

• Jason Myers missed his first extra point attempt, but then was perfect on his other opportunities during the game. It stinks saying this, but it's tough to trust him as this team heads into the final two weeks and the playoffs. He’s been consistently unreliable all season after signing a four-year, $15.5 million deal as a free agent back in March. Seattle better hope he gets it together for the finish.

FINAL THOUGHT

I’m already seeing the term “trap game” thrown around in regards to the matchup with Arizona this week. I don’t see it. Are the Cardinals a team that can scare you when they play well? Of course, and they’re a lot more frightening now that Kenyan Drake has fully embraced the role of lead back in their Air Raid offense. But a typical trap game occurs when a heavily-favored team overlooks a lesser team because they’re more focused on bigger challenges ahead.

This Seahawk team knows what’s at stake, and how important that top seed could be. A loss at home in Week 16 would likely dash all those hopes. I don’t see them looking past the Cardinals this Sunday. The big story for me remains the injuries on defense. Seattle may have to face off against a pass-happy team without their top cover corner in Griffin, but do stand to get their best pass rushers in Clowney and Ansah back for the game.

How well will the protagonist respond in the final act of this action thriller of a season? If the Seahawks stand up and win these final two games at home, we could instead be talking about them starring in a documentary film in February.