By Jawann Bennett
The Seattle Medium/ GameTime! Sportstalk
A chilly early December Sunday night was the setting at CenturyLink Field for two teams that have represented and occupied the NFC crown in the Super Bowl for the last three seasons. The Seattle Seahawks, who have a stellar 17-3-1 record in prime time games under head coach Pete Carroll, hosted the Carolina Panthers continuing a conference rivalry, which marked the seventh meeting in the last five seasons (five regular season, two post season) between the two teams. Yet Carolina had Seattle’s number in 2015 both times they played including ending their season in the NFC Divisional Playoff.
Quarterbacks Russell Wilson and reigning 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton are not only familiar with each other and the African American label, but have gotten familiar with the elite label. Newton leading the Panthers defense of their 2015 NFC Championship is not what anyone expected starting season 1-5 and coming into this matchup 4-7 against an annoyed 7-3-1 Seahawks team led by Wilson that lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the previous week after scoring only 5 points.
Seattle would double that offensive output in the first quarter led with the arm of Wilson, who was 8 for 10 and 97 yards passing, and legs of running back Thomas Rawls, who rushed for 34 yards and an 8-yard touchdown to take a 10-0 lead. That effort was backed by a ferocious defense that saw linebacker Mike Morgan intercept a Derek Anderson pass, who was curiously in for Newton on the first play of the game. After the game Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said “a travel dress code violation” was the reason Anderson started the first series in place of Newton who would return the next series.
Seattle welcomed the return of free safety Earl Thomas, who missed his first career game last week due to a hamstring injury and seemed back to his decleating hit form. However, that would quickly change in the second quarter as a Newton pass that was almost intercepted by Thomas caused a leg collision with strong safety Kam Chancellor with 10:45 to play. Thomas would leave the game suffering a lower leg fracture and had to be carted off the field.
Newton smelled blood and on the next play found wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. for a 55-yard touchdown pass to cut the Seattle lead to 10-7.
The Seahawks did not take long at all to answer as three plays and :48 later, Rawls would trampled for a 45-yard touchdown run to put the Seahawks ahead 17-7.
Yet the injury bug bit the Seahawks hard in the quarter, especially if there is a Thomas in your name, as Rawls would leave the game shortly thereafter under concussion protocol, but would return finishing with 103 of the Seahawks season-high 240 rushing yards.
Despite receivers dropping passes, the Seahawks relied on strong defensive play and adjustments to go along with a strong kicking game from kicker Steven Hauschka’s 3 field goals to take a 23-7 halftime lead.
Receiver Tyler Lockett flirted with the spectacular several times on offense and special teams in the first half. However, he wasted no time in the second half as he took an end-around 75 yards to the house on the first play of the half to put Seattle up 30-7 and the route was on.
Seattle added another field goal from Hauschka after a 1-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to tight end Jimmy Graham in the fourth quarter to go up 40-7 and that’s where the score remained as Seattle improved to 8-3-1 dropping Carolina to 4-8 and most likely out of the playoff picture.
The story wasn’t as much about the win as it was the loss of Thomas for the Seahawks. Thomas took to social media shortly after the injury while in the locker room stating, “This game has so good to me no regrets.. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers.”
Carroll said after the game, “Earl has been a fixture here for a long time and we’re gonna miss him.”
“You’re sad for him…we all talked to him, he seemed in good spirits he’s a strong willed dude so he’ll be fine,” said Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
As the Seahawks figure out the rest of the season without Thomas, it will be interesting to see how his backup, free safety Steven Terrell, will fair in the lineup.
“Steve Terrell knows how to play the game and we’re gonna count on him moving forward,” added Carroll.
The Seahawks’ first test without Thomas, who is referred to as the heart and soul of the defense, is this Sunday at the 6-6 Green Bay Packers led by former MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
