The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South with a 7-8-1 record last season, and though they picked things up big time near the end of the year, few expected them to turn things around so quickly and start off 2015 with four consecutive wins. But that's just what they've done, and they have plenty of momentum heading into a tough game against the Seattle Seahawks on the road.
Panthers vs. Seahawks 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Will the Panthers stay undefeated with a game against the Seahawks coming up on Sunday?
Seattle is 2-3 on the year, behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West and coming off a disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5. If they have one thing going for them, though, it's their recent dominance over the Panthers.
Specifically, it’s a recent dominance over Cam Newton. They’re 4-0 against the Newton-led Panthers, and Newton has led just a single touchdown drive against the Seahawks in the regular season. He posted an 8.0 quarterback rating against the Seahawks last year and if anything can derail his high level of play this year, it has to be them.
Newton is also coming off a shaky performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions, but his accuracy was off for much of the game and he only completed 50 percent of his passes. On the season, he has completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 809 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 195 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has looked good at times and not as good in others. He's made more mistakes this year than in previous years. He has completed 70.7 percent of his throws for 1,192 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, with 198 yards rushing. Not bad play by any means, and better than Newton in some respects, but he's made more mistakes.
Wilson hasn't been able to close out games, and in all three of Seattle's losses this season, the Seahawks blew a fourth-quarter lead. They fell to the St. Louis Rams and Bengals in overtime, and handily lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. The Panthers might actually be their toughest test of the season.
It will be an interesting game for both teams -- nobody really knows if the Seahawks will get over their early season struggles and it’s still early enough for the Panthers to go in the opposite direction. The teams match up well on both sides of the ball. Carolina averaged 27.0 points per game and allows 17.8, while the Seahawks average 22.2 points per game and allow 19.6. The stats favor the Panthers overall, even if it’s a small margin.
Carolina is 4-0, and with the Atlanta Falcons sitting at 5-1 after sustaining their first loss of the season on Thursday, they would put themselves in a great position in the division by beating the Seahawks on Sunday. For Seattle, it still has both games against the rival Cardinals to play this season, and winning now is more important than ever.
How to Watch
When: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle
TV: FOX
Announcers: Sam Rosen, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
Online: NFL Game Pass
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