Seahawks show Super Bowl potential
Much goes right in thrashing of Panthers, although Thomas breaks his leg
They’re running away with their division while staking a place in the Super Bowl conversation, which means there are about 28 NFL teams who just wish they had the Seattle Seahawks’ problems.
But in the Pete Carroll era, the ’Hawks are judged by a different standard and, for everything they’ve accomplished in 2016, the deeper impression made on their following is a team that is incomplete and inconsistent. One week they beat the Patriots in New England. The next week they score five points against Tampa Bay. As for the next week, who knows, but at least with the Seahawks, you want to stick around to see what happens next.
Sunday night, at Century Link, the ’Hawks flexed some of their old muscle and demolished the Carolina Panthers 40-7 in a performance that seemed to announce they were peaking as the post-season approached. Alas, it also came as Earl Thomas suffered a cracked tibia, an injury that knocked the All Pro safety out for the season and had him contemplating retirement on social media, reinforcing the point it’s best not to get too comfortable with the Seahawks this season.
In a game that started off with the bizarro benching of Cam Newton and ended with a Russell Wilson-to-Jimmy Graham touchdown, the Seahawks amassed 534 yards in total offence, including a season-high 240 yards on the ground, while their defence held the defending NFC champions to a single TD, a 55-yard Newton to Ted Ginn strike in the second quarter.
If those were the only stories to emerge from Sunday night — here’s another good one, under Carroll the Seahawks are now 17-4-1 in primetime games — it would have been a big night for the 12s. But early in the second quarter, Thomas collided with Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor, fracturing the tibia in his lower leg. The Texas product was carted to the locker-room where he tweeted: “This game has been good to me no regrets. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers.”
Ginn’s touchdown came on the next play.
That injury also reinforced a storyline that has become all too familiar for the Seahawks this season. Against the Panthers, the ’Hawks had returned to something resembling full health after a litany of injuries had ravaged their season. On the defence, Thomas, Chancellor and lineman Michael Bennett were all back as was running back Thomas Rawls, who keyed a punishing ground game while reawakening the ghosts of Marshawn Lynch.
Rawls finished with 106 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. He came into the game with 120 yards on the season. Tyler Lockett, who finished with 192 all-purpose yards, also turned a jet sweep into a 75-yard touchdown, while Wilson went 26-of-36 for 277 yards.
Newton, meanwhile, was held out of the starting lineup for violating the team dress code. His backup, Derek Anderson, took the first series and promptly served up an interception to Seahawks linebacker Mike Morgan on the first play. The ’Hawks were held to a field goal.