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Prediction: SEA 17, CAR 27 (Line: CAR by 3)

UPDATE: Marshawn Lynch had full practices and will play with no limitation. Ted Ginn is questionable because of his knee but said himself that he was a full go and that he took off Friday to help him be ready to play.

This is a replay of Week 6 when the Panthers won 27-23 in Seattle. That was the game when the Panthers produced two touchdowns in the last four minutes of the game including a 26-yard score to Greg Olsen with only 32 seconds left to play. The Panthers are 8-0 at home and come off a round one bye. The Seahawks are 6-3 on the road and playing great defense for the last six weeks.

The Seahawks escaped Minnesota thanks to a surprise field goal shank but the game was played in sub-zero temperatures. And it was the same team that they had beaten 38-7 previously when the offense was hitting on all cylinders. This meeting with the Panthers will be on the road which is always a different slant for the Seahawks and both teams have evolved in the 12 weeks since they last played.

QUARTERBACK : Russell Wilson’s hot streak ended in Minnesota but that was as much about the weather as anything. He had thrown for multiple scores in the seven previous games while the Seahawks passing effort caught on fire. In Week 6, Wilson was limited to only 241 yards and one score against the Panthers while being sacked four times.

RUNNING BACK : Marshawn Lynch was expected to play last week but then suddenly on Friday night was called out when he said he was not ready. HC Pete Carroll said that Lynch did not have a setback and there is optimism that he can play this week. I will tentatively include him in the projections but obviously his status may not be known for sure until game time. Lynch ran for 54 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries in Week 6 when the Panthers visited. In his place, the Seahawks have been getting surprisingly good results from Christine Michael the last two weeks.

WIDE RECEIVER : Back in Week 6, the Seahawks were still not a passing team and Doug Baldwin only ended with 23 yards on three receptions. Jermaine Kearse failed to catch any of his three targets and Tyler Lockett did not catch either of his two throws. Ricardo Lockette scored in that game for the only time all year and he later landed on injured reserve in Week 9.

Given the developments of the last two months, Baldwin is certain to match up on CB Josh Norman. Baldwin’s last two road games both had scores but saw him remain under 50 yards of production. That leaves Kearse and Lockett to provide the better options though neither had a catch in the last meeting.

TIGHT END : The Seahawks do not use this position since Jimmy Graham left though that was his best game of the year when he ended with eight catches for 140 yards. The offense now runs through Doug Baldwin.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The Seahawks have become far better on offense since Week 6 though largely thanks to Doug Baldwin who was shut down in the first meeting and will be reacquainting himself with CB Josh Norman while playing in Carolina. A healthy Lynch would be called on often here but so far that is not certain to happen. And he was only marginally successful in the first meeting anyway.

Wilson could run in a score here but his passing should be stunted with Baldwin at least limited if not shut down again. That leaves Kearse and Lockett to step up when they had no catches in the first meeting.

The Panthers made amends for losing to the Falcons by crushing the Buccaneers in Week 17. The good news is that Jonathan Stewart is expected to be healthy again and losing served as a wake up call to the Panthers. If not for the late game comeback, the Panthers would have lost in Seattle back in Week 6 but like the Seahawks, the Panthers have seen their passing offense become much better later in the year. The Seahawks have far more experience in the playoffs but the Panthers have already played them once and had a week to get healthy.

QUARTERBACK : Cam Newton passed for 269 yards and one score in Seattle and added another score on his seven runs for 30 yards. Newton has never failed to score multiple touchdowns in all home games this year and has just one interception over the last eight games. He’s been a lock for a good game when in Carolina.

RUNNING BACK : Jonathan Stewart is on line to start this week after missing the last three games with a sprained foot. He ran for 78 yards and two scores on 20 carries in Seattle. Stewart has been better in home games and turns in 20+ carries in each of his last eight starts. Cameron Artis-Payne scored once in relief but never rushed for more than 60 yards.

WIDE RECEIVER : Ted Ginn missed Week 17 with a sore knee but will be back for this matchup. While he scored seven times between Weeks 11 and 15, he was held to only one catch in the previous meeting with the Seahawks and matches up against Richard Sherman. Jerricho Cotchery (2-21) and Philly Brown (2-22) were ineffective in the last meeting and rarely do much better in any other game. Devin Funchess only accounted for two catches for 24 yards in that game but has since become a much bigger part of the offense with five scores over the last nine games. The rookie has been much more likely to produce well when facing a weak team.

TIGHT END : Greg Olsen was the top receiver in the previous meeting with the Seahawks when he caught seven passes for 131 yards and scored once. Olsen has been much quieter in the last six weeks mostly because Ginn and Funchess came to life and started scoring. He’s a lock to be considered more often in this game against a defense that he already had nice success against. The secondary has more concerns about Devin Funchess and Ted Ginn than they did back in Week 6 and that favors Olsen.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: Played at home helps over the last meeting in Seattle. But Ginn is likely to be limited by Richard Sherman and Olsen should turn up as the top receiver again. A healthy Stewart will also be a big help and he already scored twice on them in Week 6. Expect a good game from Newton who should end up with a rushing score and a passing touchdown in this one. The Panthers defense should slow this game down and control the clock. Newton, Stewart and Olsen are strong plays this week but the other wideouts were ineffective in Seattle and are not likely to show up with anything better here.

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