Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers: Breaking Down Seattle's Game Plan

The Seattle Seahawks are facing a bit of adversity after the events of the last two weeks. Seattle was beaten soundly by the Dallas Cowboys, dealt with the controversial trade of Percy Harvin, and followed it with a stunning loss to the St. Louis Rams.

The Seahawks are struggling on the offensive side of the ball with their execution early in games and cannot get off the field defensively. However, the issues that have cropped up are capable of being corrected for the most part.

The opening line for the game between the Seahawks and Carolina Panthers had Seattle as three-point favorites but has since fluctuated, per Odds Shark. The line now rests with the Panthers being anywhere between 4.5- and 5.5-point underdogs.

After Week 7's action, the Seahawks remained in neutral in the NFC West standings, remaining in third place. They sit half a game behind the San Francisco 49ers, who have played one game more, and two games behind the Arizona Cardinals. The St. Louis Rams are one game behind Seattle.

Seattle Seahawks	Category	Carolina Panthers
357.0 (15th)	Total Offense	342.0 (20th)
26.5 (8th)	Scoring Offense	22.6 (t-16th)
203.7 (29th)	Passing Offense	252.1 (12th)
7.4 (15th)	Yards Per Attempt	7.2 (18th)
153.3 (2nd)	Rushing Offense	89.9 (27th)
5.4 (1st)	Yards Per Attempt	3.5 (29th)
40.0% (t-19th)	3rd Down Percentage	42.1% (t-13th)
324.0 (8th)	Total Defense	388.3 (27th)
23.5 (19th)	Scoring Defense	27.9 (29th)
238.5 (15th)	Passing Defense	250.7 (22nd)
7.1 (10th)	Yards Per Attempt	7.5 (22nd)
85.5 (6th)	Rushing Defense	137.6 (26th)
3.2 (2nd)	Yard Per Attempt	5.3 (32nd)
47.0% (28th)	3rd Down Percentage	48.4% (30th)

On Defense

Seattle's front four lacks the depth it had last season, and the results have been markedly poor for the defense. The Seahawks had 17 sacks through their first six games in 2013. They have just seven sacks this season and are struggling to produce consistent pressure.

With their lack of rotation, Seattle's defensive linemen have played about 42 percent of the total snaps in 2013, but with two fewer players. Michael Bennett, for instance, has gone from playing 57.7 percent of Seattle's defensive snaps to 80.7 percent of the team's snaps.

The team has to do more to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks by sending in extra pass-rushers. Carolina quarterbacks were sacked 16 times through the first seven weeks of the season. Cam Newton has a completion percentage of just 44.1 when under pressure this season, but 60.7 percent overall.

Since defensive coordinator Dan Quinn appears intent on continuing to rush just four linemen, the Seahawks don't seem likely to take advantage of Newton's struggles. Instead, look for the Seahawks to try to mix up their coverages as much as possible in hopes of confusing him.

Carolina's rushing attack has been all but nonexistent, with an average of less than 90 yards per game. The Seahawks should be able to hold the Panthers to even worse than that standard, making the Panthers one-dimensional and predictable.

The key to the game will be in keeping Newton from having too great an effect on proceedings with his legs. He's rushed the ball 24 times for 148 yards and a touchdown in his last two games. Barring another poor showing from Seattle's run defense, Newton should be kept under wraps.

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

On Offense

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell failed to mix in enough creativity to incorporate Percy Harvin into the offense, but he is now free to spread the ball to a group of less dynamic receivers and Marshawn Lynch.

Doug Baldwin had a strong showing in Seattle's first game sans Harvin, finishing the game with seven catches for 123 yards and a score.

While the team could use a bit of help in finding a strong second target, the key factors in improving offensively has to be penalties and getting Lynch on track. Russell Wilson has been the team's top rusher in two of the last three weeks, but it has not been by design.

The offensive line is not providing Wilson with much time, and he's been forced from the pocket fairly often. The poor pass-blocking isn't necessarily new, but consecutive weeks of poor run-blocking are disconcerting.

Seattle hasn't been able to get Lynch going as much as they'd like, and it's hurt the offense's efficiency. The receiving corps will grow with Paul Richardson and Kevin Norwood receiving increased minutes, but that process will take some time.

Typically, the key to Seattle's success has been speeding things up and going no huddle. Why Seattle has not started mixing in any hurry-up offense earlier in games is irrelevant, but it's something the coaching staff should have taken note of and planned to put into effect against Carolina.

*All stats gathered from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), unless otherwise sourced.