As Expected
Seattle managed just five points in Tampa Bay last week, but only the most optimistic Panthers fan came into Sunday night believing Carolina had much of a chance to leave the Pacific Northwest with a win.
The Panthers came in banged up on the offensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary, so they'd have to play a perfect game to pull off an upset. The odds of that happening at CenturyLink Field, where the Seahawks were 5-0 this season and 10-1 in primetime since 2010, were about as good as Carolina going 15-1 last year.
Seattle dominated from start to finish, dropping the Panthers to 4-8. They're still not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but if the wheels hadn't come off before this week, they're certainly rolling down the road now.
THAT'S Why?!
Over the past few years, coach Ron Rivera has kept guys like Greg Hardy, Kelvin Benjamin and Kony Ealy from starting after they broke team rules. But Cam Newton was a new one, and so was the apparent reasoning.
NBC's Michelle Tafoya said Rivera told her Newton began the game on the sideline because of a "dress code violation." That's obviously a jaw-dropper considering some of the outfits Newton's worn over the years.
There's a good chance the "violation" occurred on the Panthers' Saturday flight to Seattle when Newton traveled sans tie. Rivera will say he made the call, but it's also possible input came from general manager Dave Gettleman, who believes players and staff should dress a certain way when traveling.
Not allowing a guy to act above the law — even if he's your best player — is understandable, but benching the league's MVP in primetime during a terribly disappointing season for something relatively trivial is a cutting off your nose to spite your face situation.
What Now?
After a Super Bowl appearance and three straight division titles, Rivera's biggest accomplishment has been getting his players to win games late in lost seasons. It's hard to see how that will happen this time around.
Newton's benching is a storyline that will hang over the team all week, and it's not like the offensive line is going to get much healthier over the rest of the way.
Despite many feeling linebacker Luke Kuechly should just sit out the rest of the season, the Panthers will likely let him and safety Kurt Coleman return if and when they clear the NFL's concussion protocol. Still, Carolina is on the mat and getting back up will take more than the return of those two.
The Panthers aren't playing a bunch of world-beaters the next four weeks — the Chargers, Redskins, Falcons and Bucs are a combined 25-22 — but it feels like it's going to be this kind of month in Charlotte: