Three burning questions for Panthers against Seahawks

Can the secondary hold up?

I certainly couldn’t make this list without asking this question. Will the secondary be able to hold up against Seattle’s passing attack? For the past couple weeks, the Panthers secondary has left a lot to be desired. Now, they will go up against a wide receiving group full of playmakers that can stretch the field and should present them with a challenge.

Leading the way for Seattle is Tyler Lockett. Per statistics from Pro Football Focus he has caught 86.4% of his passes on the year. In total, he has caught 38 passes for 554 yards and seven touchdowns. Perhaps more notable is the fact that he has not dropped any of his receptions. Who can forget about Doug Baldwin? He is another huge weapon for Seattle. On the season, he has recorded 30 catches for 327 yards and a touchdown. Averaging 10.9 yards per reception,  he is another weapon that can really spread the field. Combine that with the success that tight end Ed Dickson has had, and the new acquisition of Brandon Marshall and you have a quartet that can put up numbers in a hurry.

How will the Carolina Panthers secondary be able to handle this? Last week, they gave up 220 yards (not bad), and 9.6 passing yards per attempt (bad). That breaks down to 253.9 yards per game, a number that ranks them 21st overall in the league. At the bottom end of the category, that is not ideally where you want to be. They have seemed to struggle against passing attacks that possesses playmakers. Last week in particular, James Bradberry struggled. He gave up six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. He had a 63.8 coverage rating for the afternoon. This was a game where he certainly could have performed better.

This secondary will be challenged on Sunday. The question is, can they handle it? My initial response to that question is a timid “yes.” They have performed well this season, but their last two weeks have not been their finest hour.