Three players Panthers should key on against Seahawks

Russell Wilson

No matter how many playmakers the Seattle Seahawks have on the offensive side of the football, the offense begins and ends with quarterback Russell Wilson. That is not necessarily a bad thing either. He has been tremendously effective ever since he came into the National Football League. Now, he will face a Carolina Panthers defense looking to redeem themselves.

Against the Packers, Wilson went 21-31 on the evening throwing for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball five times for 17 yards. Thursday marked the second game in a row in which Wilson did not record an interception. In addition, his 7.26 yards per pass attempt were his highest amount since the game against the Lions. If there is one way to beat him, it is to put pressure on him defensively.

In 121 drop backs under pressure, he has completed only 47.5% of his passes. His passer rating is 56.2. On the other hand, his running rating is an 85. What this means for the Panthers is that when they get pressure on him, they need to make sure they get to him quickly and wrap up. The last thing they want to make Wilson do is scramble. If they do so, that works to his advantage.

He has been sacked 32 times so far this season and Carolina needs to make sure that they finish plays defensively. Wrapping up completely and making solid tackles will be key to bringing him down. The Panthers must stop Wilson if they want to win the football game. He can beat you in many ways, and the Panthers need to make sure not to fall asleep defensively. If they can disrupt his rhythm, that would be ideal. Otherwise once he gets into some sort of rhythm, good luck stopping him.