Seahawks vs. Panthers: Run Game Takes Center Stage in Key Matchups to Watch

After the Carolina Panthers churned up a hapless Seattle Seahawks defense on the ground last December, Pete Carroll's squad has turned a new leaf so far in 2023. But will they be able to get the job done against Miles Sanders and a physical offensive line in Sunday's rematch?

Seeking a second consecutive victory after a riveting overtime win in Detroit, the Seattle Seahawks will look to avenge one of their ugly losses from a year ago as the winless Carolina Panthers come to town for a Week 3 battle at Lumen Field.

In their matchup last December, Carolina steamrolled Seattle's defense with a potent ground game, racking up more than 200 rushing yards and possessing the football for nearly 40 minutes in a 30-24 upset. On the flip side, Geno Smith endured arguably his roughest start of the season throwing a pair of picks and completing under 60 percent of his passes in defeat.

Which matchups will be most important to determining who wins this year's rematch in the Pacific Northwest? Six positional battles to watch:

--Seahawks defensive tackles Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, and Mario Edwards versus Panthers center Bradley Bozeman and guards Chandler Zavala, Cade Mays: Due to injuries, Carolina has been rolling with two backup guards in Zavala and Mays, who replaced Brady Christensen after he suffered a season-ending biceps injury in Week 1. So far, without Christensen and Austin Corbett, the reserves have struggled to protect Bryce Young, as Zavala has allowed 10 pressures - tied for the most among guards through two games - and a pair of sacks while Mays has yielded two pressures on 21 pass blocking snaps. At center, Bozeman has been serviceable at best giving up four pressures in the first two games.

In last week's win over Detroit, Jones, Reed, and Edwards combined to produce seven pressures, a sack, and two quarterback hits, with the majority of that damage happening in the second half against a quality offensive line. Facing a line with two struggling backups in the interior, Seattle's defensive front should have the advantage rushing the passer and turning up the heat on Andy Dalton while also having an edge creating penetration against the run game.

--Seahawks tackles Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe versus Panthers edge rushers Brian Burns and Justin Houston: Surprising everyone outside of Seattle's locker room, while being helped out by an excellent game plan by coordinator Shane Waldron and a fantastic performance managing the pocket by Geno Smith, Curhan and Forsythe were rock solid against the Lions allowing a combined seven pressures and no quarterback hits. Once again set to fill in for injured starters Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, the pair of third-year tackles will have another stiff test dealing with Burns and Houston, who have each gotten off to solid starts through two games.

Burns, one of the league's premier speed rushers, has racked up at least nine sacks in each of the past three seasons, including a career-best 12.5 sacks in 2022. Already with a pair of sacks this year, his elite first step and burst will be a problem for Curhan and Forsythe off the edge and likely require support from tight ends and running backs. As for Houston, he's listed as questionable to play due to a calf injury, but the veteran offers a different skill set predicated more on power and his ability to win with bull rushes and long arm moves also makes him a dangerous rusher in his own right. Just like last week, Smith will need to be on his toes ready to move from the pocket and Waldron will have to scheme up ways to help out his young tackles to find consistent offensive success.

--Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks versus Panthers running backs Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard: While Carolina's passing game has sputtered early with Young unable to get much going downfield and under frequent duress, the run game has remained a bright spot through the first two weeks. Anchored by powerful tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, the Panthers have found success with a versatile ground game featuring a 50/50 mix of zone and gap concepts, ranking in the top 10 in the league in rushing yards and yards per attempt. Sanders hasn't quite hit his stride after missing extended time in camp with an injury, averaging 3.6 yards per carry thus far, but Hubbard has been effective as a change of pace back with 76 yards and seven first downs on 11 carries.

Chuba Hubbard didn't start for Carolina last December, but he torched Seattle with 74 rushing yards and also had a trio of catches for 34 yards out of the backfield

When these two teams met last December, the Seahawks allowed the Panthers to run all over them to the tune of 223 yards and two touchdowns, including 74 yards and a touchdown to Hubbard. But so far, Seattle has been dramatically improved defending the run this year, allowing just 2.9 yards per carry, the third-lowest rate in the league. With Wagner back in the middle alongside a healthy Brooks, the two linebackers have been key to the resurgence, combining for 30 tackles and 16 run stops. However, they will be tested by a quality Carolina ground game and both Sanders and Hubbard also are capable receiving options, putting more strain on the linebackers covering sideline-to-sideline in a critical matchup.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Panthers cornerbacks CJ Henderson, Donte Jackson, and Troy Hill: Last season, star cornerback Jaycee Horn dominated against Lockett and Metcalf, recording an interception against Smith on the game's opening drive and later adding a pass breakup. Luckily for the Seahawks, they won't have to worry about Horn in this rematch, as a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve two weeks ago and he won't be suiting up. Without him, Henderson and Jackson have been solid, yet unspectacular, handling boundary duties, allowing 200 yards on 12 receptions for no touchdowns. In the slot, Hill has seen the most action, allowing five receptions on five targets for 34 yards.

Thanks to a nasty pass rush, Carolina's corners haven't been tested much early, leading to a third-ranked passing defense. Seattle will have to find ways to keep Smith clean with Burns, Houston, and company coming after him, but if Waldron can scheme up pass protection to buy his quarterback time, the trio of Metcalf, Lockett, and Smith-Njigba should have quality matchups on the outside against a Horn-less cornerback group. Lockett and Metcalf both scored touchdowns last year when they weren't covered by Horn and have had prior success against Henderson and Jackson. As for Smith-Njigba, his quickness and route running savvy working against Hill, who allowed a passer rating against him from the slot north of 100.0 each of the past two seasons, could make him a highlighted focal point in the game plan heading into this week.

--Seahawks cornerback Artie Burns and safety Julian Love versus Panthers receiver Adam Thielen and tight end Hayden Hurst: Near the bottom of the NFL in most major passing categories, Carolina hasn't received much production from a rebuilt receiving corps without DJ Moore, who was dealt to Chicago as part of trade to move up for the first overall pick to draft Young. Only two players on the team - Thielen and Hurst - have more than 50 receiving yards through the first two games, and both players have done most of their damage from the slot with limited after the catch production.

Thielen, who came to the Panthers after being released by the Vikings, has given the Seahawks fits in the past, including catching 15 passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games against them. Minus starting slot defender Coby Bryant, who will miss Sunday's game with a toe injury, Burns and Love will likely split duties covering against the veteran receiver as well as Hurst. To this point, Love has struggled in the role, allowing a league-worst 155.7 passer rating from the slot. But Burns has done a quality job as a practice squad callup the last two games, ranking in the top five in passer rating and allowing only one catch for 11 yards. Given Carolina's reliance on slot production and Seattle's questions at the spot on defense, this could be a matchup that carries significant sway in regard to who wins on Sunday.

--Seahawks running backs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet versus Panthers linebackers Frankie Luvu and Kamu Grugier-Hill: In order to help slow down Burns and Carolina's pass rush, Seattle will have to figure out how to untrack a run game that was shut down for the most part in Detroit and was a non-factor when these teams met last December. With Walker and DeeJay Dallas both sidelined, Pete Carroll's squad produced just 28 rushing yards from running backs that afternoon. If there's been a clear flaw for the Panthers through two weeks, it has been defending the run, where they have allowed the 25th most yards and four touchdowns on the ground while also missing 25 tackles, second most in the NFL.

Making matters worse for the Panthers, standout linebacker Shaq Thompson suffered a potentially season-ending ankle injury in their loss to the Saints on Monday, leaving them without one of their veteran leaders and a quality run defender in the middle. If the Seahawks can create a bit of push at the line of scrimmage to get Walker and Charbonnet to the second level, which is a big if, their explosiveness and tackle-breaking ability should generate opportunities for big plays on the ground, opening up the play action passing game and preventing Burns and company from fully pinning their ears back off the edge hunting down Smith. The backs should also factor in as receivers in the quick strike passing game to further negate the rush.