Sunday will be a nightmare for the Seahawks. 3 reasons why:

[mc52beast]

You forgot that they won't be able to wave those really big flags around, something I've been told is a secret to their success.

[Beast Mode]

On 1/13/2016 at 11:23 AM, Sam Mills Fan said:

1.) The Seahawks will be without Jimmy Graham and Ricardo Lockette, their two leading receivers from their previous matchup against the Panthers, because both players are on IR. In their defeat at the hands of Carolina, Graham had 8 receptions for 140 yards. Lockette had 2 receptions for 43 yards and a big touchdown. If Marshawn Lynch doesn't play this week either, the Seahawks will have to turn to a group of inexperienced running backs against a ferocious Panthers defense. Losing those 3 players would mean the Seahawks would have to find a way to replace their combined 11 receptions for 183 yards and 1 TD through the air and 17 carries for 54 yards and 1 TD on the ground. Replacing 237 of their 356 total yards (67% of their total offense) and both of their touchdowns will be a tough challenge.

2.) Kam Chancellor's coverage skills have continued to decline as the 2015 season has gone along. According to Pro Football Focus, his game vs. the Vikings on Sunday was the worst game he's had in coverage in his career. Chancellor was the Seahawks' MVP in their playoff win vs. Carolina back in January, but his coverage skills have fallen off a cliff this season. Look for the Panthers to get tight end Greg Olsen isolated against Chancellor once again. Chancellor struggled in coverage against Olsen in their previous meeting giving up the game-winning score. Olsen had one of the best games of his career against the Seahawks catching 7 balls for 131 yards and 1 TD.

3.) The Seahawks just aren't good playing early games on the East Coast. Under Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, the Seahawks are 8-9 when playing in the Eastern Standard Time zone at 1pm. Against teams with winning records, that record dips further to 1-4.

 

For the Seahawks to pull the upset, Wilson will need to play one of the best games of his career. And Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard will need to figure out a why to stop Olsen and probable league MVP Cam Newton, something very few teams have managed to do this season.

Answering each bullet point

1.) I'm not so sure they miss Jimmy Graham a whole lot, though when the offense was really starting to trend upward.. Graham and Wilson were really showing signs of finally clicking and getting their chemistry down.  Graham was even a better blocker than he was to start the year, though he was still very weak in that category.  That injury really stings though because a.) it's a really brutal injury to have and recover from.. just ask Victor Cruz and b.) even if Graham isn't putting up 8-140-3 like games anymore.. he's still a 6-7 threat at TE that defenses have to account for.  Guessing more defensive coordinators will lose sleep over Jimmy Graham than Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet and Chase Coffman.  

The Ricardo Lockette thing though is reaching.  He may have been the leading WR that week, but he was our 5th best WR threat - at best - most of the year.  Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and Jermaine Kearse are all much better at WR than Ricardo.  Lockett especially has really come into his own as the year has gone on, and Darrell Bevell is FINALLY taking some deep shots with him about 2-3 times a game.  

2.) This is actually a very valid point and a very legitimate concern.  For some reason Kam has slipped off from a year ago.  I think a lot of that contract holdout at the beginning of the year stemmed from Kam realizing his skills were diminishing .. very similarly to Lynch's brief holdout before his.  Kam has had a few pretty serious injuries to recover from over the last few years and just the way he plays the game.. it's only a matter of time before ones body breaks down and you lose some ability.  He's just been a step or two slower than before and Greg Olsen is absolutely the type of TE that can change an entire game on his own - hell we already saw that in Week 6.  

3.) The early start doesn't worry me too much, but one factor that will be interesting to see is just how much energy they have in a closer game.  After all they are coming off of a game where they played in below zero temps for 3.5 hours and a game where they had to come from behind (and get REAL lucky) to win.  With how physical Carolina is, I fear in a close game .. that can be the difference come the 4th quarter when the defense may be asked to protect a lead in the waning moments of the game.