The Carolina Panthers, now at 5-9 and losers of six consecutive games, can be called plenty of things—most of them bad. But the one word you cannot use to describe this team is “inconsistent.” In another familiar outcome, the Panthers fell short against the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 30-24, on Sunday afternoon. As usual, it was their penchant for turnovers, lack of takeaways and futile run defense that put them to the wrong side of the win-loss column once again.
The Seahawks took control early and put themselves in a position to park the proverbial bus, thanks to Carolina’s defensive disorganization. Running back Chris Carson (24 carries, 133 yards) got the scoring started on a 16-yard touchdown run not even five minutes in, capping off an eight-play, 75-yard opening drive for Seattle.
Quarterback Russell Wilson led his offense back into the end zone on their next two drives, staking a 20-7 lead at the 10:19 mark of the second quarter. Those possessions were highlighted by a pair of deep completions by Wilson, a 44-yarder to Tyler Lockett and a 58-yarder to Josh Gordon – ending in two 19-yard touchdown throws – both at the expense of cornerback Donte Jackson.
After criticizing the team’s defensive play-calling in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Jackson and his nightmarish afternoon couldn’t have come at a more humbling time. During his post-game presser, interim head coach Perry Fewell stated that he considered benching the second-year corner. Fewell also told reporters he didn’t plan to put rookie quarterback Will Grier in action today despite another poor performance from the position, simply saying “No, not today.”
Oddly enough, that’s exactly what Kyle Allen’s play said today as well.
Before piecing together another one of his patented failed comebacks, Allen put the Panthers in a deep hole with his rancid passing. He added three more interceptions to what has been an absolutely dreadful run following his highly-acclaimed start to 2019, bringing his total to 15 over 12 games.
Combine Allen’s knack to inexplicably morph opposing defenders into really good receivers with the defense’s inability to conjure up big plays, and Carolina has totaled 16 turnovers and just two takeaways in these six straight defeats.
While the Panthers did inch within a single score after trailing by as much as 20 in the fourth quarter, as Christian McCaffrey (175 total yards, two touchdowns) kept the team alive, that failure to stop Wilson, Carson and the Seahawks late put the game on ice.
Even with Ron Rivera gone, Fewell has provided much of the same trends and results—mainly those three aforementioned fatal flaws and, headlined by the inactivity of Grier and edge rusher Christian Miller, a notable disinterest in getting his young players in-game reps.
Only two more and it’s over.
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