Seattle was down to Carolina 13-12 at halftime. But the Seahawks outscored the Panthers 25-7 in the second half to come away with a 37-27 victory in Week 3.
The Seahawks held a 29-20 lead with six minutes left in the game when the Panthers got the ball back at their own 32-yard line. But defensive tackle Jarran Reed beat the pass protection up the middle to sack Andy Dalton on fourth-and-7, helping Seattle get in position to clinch the victory.
Receiver Jake Bobo caught a 5-yard touchdown pass and Tyler Lockett caught a pass Geno Smith threw across his body to the end zone for a two-point conversion, giving Seattle a 17-point lead with 4:17 left in the contest.
Quarterback Andy Dalton found Adam Thielen with a 15-yard touchdown with 1:40 left. But Seattle recovered the onside kick and was able to kneel the clock out for a victory.
The Seahawks were just 3-of-12 on third down but still finished with 245 yards and 27 first downs.
Smith was 23-of-36 for 296 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kenneth Walker had 97 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns, plus three catches for 59 yards. D.K. Metcalf led the team with six catches for 112 yards.
The Panthers didn’t have rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who was sidelined by an ankle injury. Starting in Young’s stead, Andy Dalton had a decent day, finishing 34-of-58 for 361 yards with two TDs. His 58 passing attempts were a new single-game career high.
But the Panthers could not get anything going in the run game. Miles Sanders had just 24 yards on nine carries. Dalton was second on the list with 11 yards on two carries.
Seattle’s “12s” were also a significant factor as the Panthers were called for eight false starts throughout the game.
Now at 2-1, the Seahawks will travel to the East Coast to play the Giants on Monday night in Week 3.
The 0-3 Panthers will be back at home to face the 0-3 Vikings next Sunday.