Russell Wilson connected with Luke Willson on a 23-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 13-9 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Our takeaways:
- This was an ugly win for the Seahawks, as they played a sloppy game on both sides of the ball. The offense had multiple turnovers for the first time all season. Marshawn Lynch dropped an end-zone pass that was intercepted at the end of the first half. Russell Wilson missed a pair of throws to tight end Cooper Helfet, both of which would have gone for touchdowns. The defense dropped interceptions and flubbed fumble opportunities. The Super Bowl champions are fortunate to be sporting a winning record.
- Jonathan Stewart had his most impressive game in two seasons. The offensive line didn't give him much room to operate, but he broke tackles and finished with the most yards by a Panthers running back this year.
- Marshawn Lynch is averaging more yards per carry (4.3 to 4.2) than last year, but the Seahawks aren't feeding him. He's averaging under 16 rushes per game compared to 20 over the past seasons. Citing sources close to the running back, NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported on NFL GameDay Morning that Lynch harbors ill feelings toward coach Pete Carroll from his training camp holdout and offseason proclamations about a reduced workload.
- Rookie Kelvin Benjamin won his battle with Richard Sherman. The rookie out-leaped Sherman and Earl Thomas for a 51-yard bomb in the fourth quarter. He should have had a pair of touchdowns, but dropped one pass in the end zone and Cam Newton overthrew him by a foot on another throw.
- Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis deserved a better outcome. The linebacker tandem was flying all over the field, but they didn't get much help from the pass rush or Newton's offense.
- Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor reportedly mulled ankle surgery after the Week 2 loss at San Diego. He should have gone under the knife, so he could return healthy later in the season. Unable to drive off the injured ankle, Chancellor has been a liability the past few weeks.
- Active for just the second time this season, offseason hype bunnyChristine Michael managed just 12 yards on four carries as Lynch's backup.
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