Seattle Seahawks
Offense – B+
The weather was an issue, but the Seattle Seahawks still managed to score 27 points. Sam Darnold wasn’t especially strong, but he did connect with AJ Barner for a touchdown. It should go without saying at this point, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another strong game with nine catches for 72 yards. Instead, it was all about the running game. Led by 100 yards and two touchdowns from Zach Charbonnet, Seattle averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 36 carries to control the game.
Defense – A-
Bryce Young had what was easily his worst game of the season in Week 17. Seattle limited him to just 54 yards passing, and the running game wasn’t much better. Carolina managed just 99 yards on 26 carries as they were unable to get anything going offensively. They deserve a lot of the credit this week.
Coaching – A-
Everyone knows that the Panthers struggle to defend the run, and Seattle exploited that this week. The weather didn’t appear to be an issue, but most importantly, the defense came to play. In what has been a strong year for Bryce Young, he simply never had a chance to get anything going. To say that the game plan limited him would be an understatement.
Overall – A-
Given the circumstances, this was the perfect game by the Seahawks. They did what they needed to offensively and pulled away in the second half. Traveling east for an early start isn’t easy, and Seattle settled in and got stronger as the game went on. In a game between two first-place teams, the Seahawks stood far above their opponent.
