4 keys to a shock Carolina Panthers win at Seahawks in Week 14

Carolina Panthers must establish the run early

A key part of the Carolina Panthers’ success under Steve Wilks has been running the football superbly in games they’ve won. An often inconsistent offense is averaging 196.6 yards per game on the ground during their three triumphs under the interim head coach, which is pretty impressive all things considered.

This ground attack has coincided with D’Onta Foreman becoming the No. 1 option and Bradley Bozeman taking over as the starting center. The former Texas standout performed admirably in relief of Derrick Henry a season ago with the Tennessee Titans and is proving to the Panthers’ top brass that he should be a viable option for the team’s long-term future.

We’ve seen in games the Panthers have failed to win under Wilks that Ben McAdoo’s offense has struggled to get Foreman the carries he needs to be successful. In losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, the bruising back had just 11 and seven carries for 24 and 23 yards respectively.

It seems Foreman needs a minimum of 20 carries a game to be most effective. So expect the Panthers to give him opportunities early against a Seattle Seahawks defense that’s one of the league’s worst statistically.

It’s worth noting that Foreman has been carrying an injury in the build-up to this game, although the player did return to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday after missing Wednesday’s session. But the player was confident in participating and does not carry an injury designation for the crucial contest, which is a positive from Carolina’s perspective.