Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers: Complete Week 8 Preview for Carolina

Despite not playing good football and sporting a record of 1-1-1 in October, the Carolina Panthers (3-3-1) remain in first place in the NFC South as the team welcomes the visiting Seattle Seahawks (3-3).

This will be the third meeting in as many years between the two teams, with the Seahawks winning the first two games. It doesn't help that Seattle leads the all-time series 5-2. Fans would have to go back to 2007 to find the last time the Panthers were victorious against the West Coast foes. 

Hopefully, that four-game losing streak against the Seahawks will come to an end on Sunday.

If that is to happen, the Panthers will need to get back on track. It's by pure luck that Carolina still has a hold of the top spot in the division, as its rivals have been just as awful, if not worse. Seattle has had its struggles of late, but the flaws haven't been nearly as glaring as those in Carolina. The Panthers have surrendered 75 points in the last two games and as a result have seen some moves being made and questions being asked.

If the defense were playing to its 2013 form, the Panthers may have a more favorable record. However, there have been problems on both sides of the ball, and the current stretch of games offers no relief for a team that is competing for a postseason berth.

Week 8's preview will provide insight into Carolina's camp and what has transpired this week as the team prepares to take on Seattle.

Carolina Panthers Week 7 Recap

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Green Bay had its way with Carolina 38-17 last week. Aaron Rodgers and his potent receiving corps absolutely owned the Panthers defense and the secondary. It seemed that every time the Packers had the ball, points went on the board, especially in the first half.

Penalties really hurt the Panthers, and it was evident on Green Bay's first offensive series. Rodgers was picked off by Roman Harper, but a penalty negated the pick and gave the Packers a new set of downs. Instead of forcing a turnover and swinging the momentum in favor of his team, Harper was embarrassed by Jordy Nelson, who ran by him for a touchdown.

It all went downhill from there.

Even though the Panthers were on the losing end of the scoreboard, there were some bright moments. Kelvin Benjamin continued to make a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Brenton Bersin caught his first career touchdown.

However, the frustrations of the day overshadowed the small accolades of the team's young players. Luke Kuechly was ejected after he unknowingly fought off a game official after an altercation with a member of the Green Bay offense. The incident appeared to be accidental, and the NFL later confirmed that Kuechly never should have been thrown out of the game.

Overall, it was a long day for the Panthers and one that the team would like to forget.

News and Notes

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Defense Not Making Plays

That is the general feeling from linebacker Thomas Davis, who spoke his mind after the loss to Green Bay. Per ESPN's David Newton, Davis was quoted as saying, "From the film we watched we have a lot of guys that on a consistent enough basis are not competing hard enough, and it's showing up."

Missed tackles and giving up big plays have been a killer for the Panthers defense, which hasn't looked like the dominant unit it was a year ago. Carolina only allowed 17 passing touchdowns last season; this year, it has given up 15. When the season opened, the defense was regarded as the team's biggest strength. After seven games, that assessment couldn't be more further from the truth.

Charles Godfrey Released

In a bit of a surprising move this week, Carolina waived safety Charles Godfrey. To understand the magnitude of the release, consider that Godfrey was counted on to add veteran depth to the secondary as he took a pay cut to help make room for the team's salary cap and was moved to free safety. He was supposed to take out the slot receiver and make him a non-factor in the opposing offense, but as of Week 7, he has allowed such receivers to catch 10 passes, gain 104 yards and score two touchdowns. The Charlotte Observer's Joe Person offered his assessment via Twitter:

"

Inside the #Panthers: If Dave Gettleman was trying to send a mssg by cutting Charles Godfrey, consider it delivered. http://t.co/V6kcjlOlRB

— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 22, 2014"

While Ron Rivera may be sending a message, Godfrey's teammates offered their thoughts on his not-so-great performance this year.

"

Several #Panthers players today in reacting to Charles Godfrey's release mentioned that team had him playing out of position.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 22, 2014"

Fans may have to take what the Panthers' players are saying with a grain of salt, because the the entire unit has not played well this season. It may be easy to make an example out of one player based on the poor performance of the defense as a whole, but Godfrey's numbers more than justified his release. James Dockery is expected to start in his place on Sunday.

New Face on the Offensive Line

With Amini Silatolu still recovering from a sore calf, undrafted rookie Andrew Norwell could start at left guard this weekend. The offensive line has been a bit of a mess this year, with injuries and inconsistent play defining the unit for much of the season. With Trai Turner out, Fernando Velasco will move over to right guard to make room for the rookie.

Norwell has made an impression on both Rivera and Cam Newton. Hopefully, his enthusiasm and positive attitude translate into success on the offensive line. Things on the line have been so bad that on Tuesday, Carolina brought back offensive tackle Bruce Campbell for a workout. It remains to be seen if the two sides will come together on a deal, but the need for help up front could see Campbell returning to the game-day roster relatively soon.

NFC South is Weak

As noted in the opening slide, Carolina is lucky to still be in first place. The play of its rivals has been underwhelming, and at the current pace the division champ could feasibly have a .500-or-below record.

The last team to win a division with a losing record was the 2010 Seattle Seahawks, who won the West division with a 7-9 record and upset the heavily favored New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs.

As Roman Harper put it, the Panthers are "the pretties of the ugly right now."

It's not exactly the kind of flattery a team would want to describe itself, but sweeping the division and one or two wins outside the division could allow Carolina to realistically clinch a second straight division title.

Injury Report

USA TODAY Sports

Player/Position	Injury	Status
Byron Bell, LT	Elbow	Probable
Bene Benwikere, CB	Ankle	Out
Chase Blackburn, OLB	Knee	Out
Philly Brown, WR	Concussion	Out
Thomas Davis, OLB	NFI	Probable
Roman Harper, S	NFI	Probable
Chris Ogbannaya, RB	Groin	Questionable
Amini Silatolu, LG	Calf	Out
Trai Turner, RG	Knee	Out
Fozzy Whittaker, RB	Thigh	Out
DeAngelo Williams, RB	Ankle	Out
Jason Williams, OLB	Hip	Questionable

Source: Panthers.com

Byron Bell was the only player on the injury report to participate in limited practice on Wednesday. As noted in the previous slide, it's unlikely Silatolu or Turner will play Sunday and will be replaced by Norwell and Velasco respectively. Philly Brown may or may not play against the Seattle Seahawks. If he is unable to go, Bersin will be tasked with kick and punt return duties.

Thursday saw Davis, Harper and Jason Williams join Bell on the practice field, although Williams was limited. Friday should see more on the injury report taking part in practice, and the game status will be a lot clearer later that day.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

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Carolina Linebackers vs. Russell Wilson

This was nearly entitled "Luke Kuechly vs. Russell Wilson," but the fact is Wilson can use the entire field to his advantage. To this end, the Carolina linebackers will be counted on to keep Wilson from getting beyond the line of scrimmage if he does scramble.

Their task becomes more important with a less-than-ideal defensive front not applying pressure the way it did a year ago. Russell will run, and it will be up to Kuechly, Davis and A.J. Klein to keep him in check and from making big plays with his feet. The trio will have their hands full backing up the defensive line in the running game, which brings us to matchup No. 2.

Carolina Defensive Line vs. Marshawn Lynch

Fantasy owners with Marshawn Lynch on their roster have to be salivating at this week's game. Lynch is considered one of the most explosive backs in the league, and the Panthers are so bad at stopping the run, Lynch could very well have a career day.

Lynch is averaging 4.3 yards a carry, and the Panthers are giving up an average of 137.6 yards per game. The weapons for Seattle are many, and while Carolina could stack the box, it would allow the Seahawks to implement play action if the defense focuses primarily on Lynch.

Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen vs. Legion of Boom

The receiving tandem of Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen is a good one. Their numbers are very similar and each has played consistently over the course of the season. Their biggest test will come on Sunday.

Facing a secondary featuring Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas will not be easy, and with a running game that is among the league's worst, both receivers will have to do their part to carry the offense. Much of that will start with Cam Newton, who needs to make good decisions and be accurate with his throws. Benjamin and Olsen will have to make the most of their targets and protect the football.

Carolina's X-Factor of the Week: Carolina's Run Defense

While this was mentioned in the matchup between Lynch and Carolina's defensive front, the task of shutting down the Seattle ground game falls on the entire defense. The unit is terrible at stopping the run (26th in the league), while the Seahawks are averaging 153.3 yards per game (2nd in the league). Based on what previous games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Green Bay have shown us, Carolina is in position for another tough day defensively.

However, if the unit can put it all together and make Lynch a non-factor, it will help the team greatly as it tries earning another win. Carolina's tackles and ends need to win the battle in the trenches, with the linebackers plugging the gaps and the secondary keeping Lynch and any other other ball-carrier from getting beyond the second level.

Prediction

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a two-game losing streak. Carolina hasn't won since Week 5 and has had a difficult time finding its defense over the past two games. The Seahawks have played well at Bank of America Stadium over the last two years, and winning a third straight game against the Panthers is very feasible. Carolina has played Seattle tough, though, and both games have been close.

Sunday could be much of the same.

However, if the Panthers can't stop Lynch or contain Wilson, Week 8 could be another game in which a lot of points are scored and Carolina comes away with another loss. On paper, there is a lot going against the Panthers, and the offense won't be able to make the team competitive if the defense can't keep the score close.

This week's game could serve as the turning point for the Panthers' season, and the team leaders (namely on defense) need to motivate their teammates to play their hearts out. Carolina will see an improvement defensively, but like the last two games between the two, the Seahawks edge the Panthers in the final seconds of the game.

Prediction

Seattle 23, Carolina 21 

All player information and stats courtesy of Panthers.com, ESPN.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com.