Last year, the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers had the top two defenses in the NFL. This season, Seattle's once revered unit ranks a still-respectable eighth, while Carolina has fallen to 27th. It is a reversal of fortunes which has the Seahawks at 3-3, third in the NFC West, while the Panthers are 3-3-1 and actually leading the atrocious NFC South.
Seahawks vs. Panthers 2014 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Two playoff teams from 2013 are struggling mightily to find themselves. Now, they face each other trying to avoid a dip below .500.
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Seattle started out well enough, toppling the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos en route to a 3-1 record. Then, the Seahawks lost at home to the Dallas Cowboys before a stunning defeat to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Seattle is also hamstrung throwing the ball compared to last season. Following Golden Tate's departure in free agency and the trade of Percy Harvin, Seattle checks in at 29th in passing at 203.7 yards per game. Outside of Doug Baldwin, there are no threats at the receiver position to help Russell Wilson scare defenses.
Then there is Carolina, who has completely fallen apart since a 2-0 start. The Panthers put star defensive end Greg Hardy on the exempt list for his domestic violence troubles before Week 2, taking away a vital piece of their dominant line. The front seven has been especially terrible, allowing a league-worst 5.3 yards per rushing attempt. Last week, the Packers destroyed the Panthers through the air, jumping out to a 38-3 lead on the back of Aaron Rodgers completing 19-of-22 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns.
How to Watch
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Jenny Dell
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NFL Sunday Ticket
Odds
Seattle is favored by five points on the road against Carolina, with the over/under set at 44.5, per OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Seahawks, check out Field Gulls.
To keep up on the Panthers, head over to Cat Scratch Reader.
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