The Seattle Seahawks traveled to Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, to face the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium in Week 15 of the 2019 NFL season. The Seahawks came into this week at 10-3 on the season with the potential to clinch a playoff spot for the seventh time in eight seasons as well as the chance to move up in the rankings over the San Francisco 49ers, both of which they were successful in accomplishing with a 30-24 victory over the Panthers. The Panthers on the other hand suffered their sixth loss in a row, and the second under interim head coach Perry Fewell.
Seattle started the game with possession of the ball and ended their opening drive with a 16-yard touchdown run by Chris Carson, putting the Seahawks on the board first as Jason Myers missed the extra point. Carolina was unable to put any points up in their opening drive but Seattle scored another touchdown on the next possession when Russell Wilson connected with D.K. Metcalf for a 19-yard touchdown. Myers successfully kicked the extra point to put the Seahawks up by 13 with just over five minutes left in the first quarter.
Carolina answered the second touchdown in their next drive as Christian McCaffrey rushed for a one-yard touchdown and Joey Slye successfully kicked the extra point. The Seahawks put up their third touchdown in as many drives after Wilson connected with Tyler Lockett for 19 yards and a touchdown with 10 minutes left in the first half. Both teams exchanged downs for the next several drives and the quarter ended after Kyle Allen threw an interception that ended up in the hands of Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner. Seattle led going into halftime, 20-7.
Carolina opened the second half of the game with possession of the ball and capitalized on the drive with a 52-yard field goal kick by Slye, closing the lead to 10 points. The Seahawks didn’t produce any points on their opening and Allen threw another interception in Carolina’s second drive when a pass intended for McCaffrey was caught by K.J. Wright instead. The next two drives ended in turnovers, as well. First, Tre Boston intercepted a pass thrown by Josh Gordon. In the next Carolina drive, Allen threw another interception, caught again by Wright.
The Seahawks finally put more points on the scoreboard with two-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter after Myers kicked a 30-yard field goal, extending the lead to 23-10. The Panthers ended the third quarter with possession of the ball and failed to put any points up to open the final quarter. Seattle capitalized on their opening drive with a touchdown by Lockett to end the 11-play drive that shaved almost six-and-a-half minutes off of the clock to give the Seahawks a 20-point lead.
The Panthers answered in their next drive with another touchdown rush by McCaffrey, this time for 15 yards, closing the gap to 13 points. The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next drive and the Panthers scored one more touchdown when Allen connected with Curtis Samuel for five yards and Slye kicked the extra point, closing the lead to six points, 30-24. The score would remain unchanged.
The Seattle victory cemented their place in the playoffs and the season finale between the Seahawks and the 49ers will determine if Seattle gets a top-two spot or Wild Card berth as the Seahawks move atop of the 49ers in the rankings.
Unable to overcome turnovers 😕https://t.co/YKVnMTlXTZ
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 15, 2019
The @Seahawks have clinched a spot in the #NFLPlayoffs! #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/vqUyls5mu9
— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2019
