Panthers wilt in second half, fall to 0-3 at Seattle
Posted September 21, 2023 6:44 p.m. EDT
Updated September 25, 2023 1:42 p.m. EDT
| Carolina Panthers | 27 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 37 |
| Final | |
After bending and bending all afternoon, the Panthers defense finally broke.
Kenneth Walker III and Jake Bobo combined for three touchdowns in the second half, as Seattle pulled away from Carolina, 37-27.
The Panthers were able to keep the Seahawks out of the end zone for two-and-a-half quarters. They forced their opponent to settle for five straight Jason Myers field goals, and even held a 13-12 halftime lead.
But once Walker broke the seal in the 3rd quarter, it started a Seattle downpour.
The Seahawks racked up 425 total yards on offense, and found the end zone twice more for a comfortable home win.
"We put the defense in a hard position," said head coach Frank Reich. "With the slow starts on offense, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense. And what happens is sometimes later in the game, that mounts up."
Carolina's offense was forced to play in catch-up mode for most of the day, with quarterback Andy Dalton starting in place of the injured Bryce Young.
Dalton finished with a solid stat line -- 361 passing yards and two touchdowns -- but needed a career-high 58 attempts to do so.
"It's hard to play when you're one-dimensional," Dalton said. "We have to find a way to be balanced... We didn't run it good enough today."
Dalton's first score, a 47-yard touchdown to DJ Chark Jr, was Carolina's longest play of the season by far, and gave them a slim lead in the 2nd quarter.
Chark took advantage of a busted coverage on the play, shook off a tackle, and coasted to the end zone for his first touchdown as a Panther.
The Panthers found pay dirt again on the first play from scrimmage in the 4th quarter. Miles Sanders crossed the goal line from one yard out -- also his first score in a Carolina uniform.
For a moment, it looked like Carolina would have a chance at a late comeback, but costly penalties kept Seattle in control.
The Panthers committed 13 total infractions for 82 yards, often at inopportune moments. The fabled home crowd at Lumen Field clearly made an impact, as eight of the penalties were False Starts.
"The number of penalties we had on offense was pathetic," said Reich. "That's unacceptable. I mean, it's like we never played in the noise before."
"We're too good to go through this season and waste it away," said receiver Adam Thielen, who led the team with 11 catches, 145 yards and a late touchdown. "We gotta have some urgency here."
Rough day for injuries
The Panthers lost four different starters to injury on Sunday, which may have contributed to the defense running out of gas down the stretch.
Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu did not play in the 2nd half after the TV broadcast reported he was getting treatment on his left hip.
Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, who was targeted 6 times early, also missed the 2nd half with a concussion.
If that weren't enough, two members of the secondary missed time as well. Safety Xavier Woods was ruled out with a hurt hamstring and cornerback CJ Henderson limped off with an injured ankle.
Scoring Summary
7:47 1st - Eddy Pineiro Made 47 Yd Field Goal. 3-0 Panthers.
3:33 1st - Jason Myers Made 43 Yd Field Goal. Tied 3-3.
12:07 2nd - Jason Myers Made 35 Yd Field Goal. 6-3 Seahawks.
8:45 2nd - Jason Myers Made 33 Yd Field Goal. 9-3 Seahawks.
4:54 2nd - DJ Chark Jr. Pass From Andy Dalton for 47 Yds (Eddy Pineiro Made XP) 10-9 Panthers.
2:39 2nd - Eddy Pineiro Made 44 Yd Field Goal. 13-9 Panthers.
0:44 2nd - Jason Myers Made 37 Yd Field Goal. 13-12 Panthers.
9:45 3rd - Jason Myers Made 39 Yd Field Goal. 15-13 Seahawks.
3:52 3rd - Kenneth Walker III 1 Yd Rush (Jason Myers Made XP) 22-13 Seahawks.
14:55 4th - Miles Sanders 1 Yd Rush (Eddy Pineiro Made XP) 22-20 Seahawks.
11:40 4th - Kenneth Walker III 7 Yd Rush (Jason Myers Made XP) 29-20 Seahawks.
4:17 4th - Jake Bobo Pass From Geno Smith for 5 Yds (Geno Smith Pass To Tyler Lockett For 2-Pt Conv) 37-20 Seahawks.
1:40 4th - Adam Thielen 15 Yd pass from Andy Dalton (Eddy Pineiro Kick) 37-27 Seahawks.
