Those are the things that have determined the outcome of the recent meetings. They also topped the DVOA rankings for the fourth year in a row, which is the first time a team has done that since Football Outsiders started tracking data.
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“Seattle doesn’t owe us anything, we don’t owe Seattle anything”, Newton said.
Even Wilson was impressed with Newton’s season.
Newton is a powerful force with designed runs, and he can shrug off defenders in the pocket to keep plays alive. “You can see that he made improvement”. Likewise, Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman is always a matchup problem, particularly for a Seahawks receiver corps that is pretty thin behind Baldwin and rookie Tyler Lockett. A lot of teams have some plays that they use, but nobody relies on the quarterback to run like they do.
Rodgers is battle tested on this stage while Cardinals veteran quarterback Carson Palmer has surprisingly never won a playoff game during his 12 seasons in the NFL. Wilson threw for 241 yards and a score with no INTs but was sacked four times by a Carolina team that led the NFC with 44. If you have been a reader of us for some time, you would know that Bruce Irvin loves seeing Cam Newton line up across from him.
“He (Willson) does so many things for us that go unseen”, Seahawks offensive co-ordinator Darrell Bevell said. “We have to rush together”.
“It’s very hard. You have to plaster”, Norman said. They were able to get him the football like they would like to. Just having him in there, you can tell the difference that he makes.
“He’s in there, he’s moving around, he’s making more cuts”. The wide receivers are taught and trained that once the play breaks down, stick and go high. They have combined for just three sacks this season.
Carolina RB Jonathan Stewart has been cleared to play after missing the last three games with a foot injury.
Marshawn Lynch has “his bags packed” and will be traveling with the Seattle Seahawks with the expecation of playing Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Pete Carroll confirmed Friday. But Lynch’s run was the capper, a 67-yard rumble where he shed tacklers and remains one of the most memorable postseason runs in league history. Quarterback threw for 142 yards and one touchdown in 13 of 26 passes to lead the Seahawks.
Rookie David Johnson said he would prefer the Seahawks because that matchup would offer “another redemption”, but remember, he was not with the team for last season’s playoff loss. Given the Seahawks are the sixth and final seed in the NFC playoffs, Seattle would once again be on the road in the playoffs.
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Despite the game being in Charlotte where they have an 11-game winning streak, the Panthers are listed as 2-point favorites, which makes this game a virtual toss-up. “(Lynch) is a tough guy to bring down. The Panthers have also had trouble closing the deal several times including the 38-35 victory over the New York Giants when they blew a 28-point lead and won on a last-second field goal.
