The Seahawks won’t face the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft this week, after all. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young has not practiced this week and all signs point to veteran backup Andy Dalton starting against Seattle in his place.
Normally a backup having to start over a top draft pick would be a good sign for the opponent. However, the Seahawks have a strange history facing backup quarterbacks during the Pete Carroll era – and it’s not a good one. Whether it’s Dalton or The Devil Himself Colt McCoy, backups have fared unusually well against this Seattle team in recent years. In fact, Dalton beat them just last season with the Saints.
Every game is unique, but there does seem to be a pattern that repeats in these games where they lose to backups and boring game manager type QBs. First, they play zone defense practically the entire game, they get dinked and dunked down the field every possession, they lose by a touchdown and then coach Pete Carroll blames it all on not running the ball enough.
Hopefully this time around is different. However, now instead of feeling confident heading into a home game against an inferior team, some Seahawks fans are getting anxious. Here’s what they’re sharing on social media following the news that Dalton will likely start over Young.