Thomas Rawls leads Seahawks to 40-7 pummeling of Panthers

At this point, it’s probably easy to get a rise out of the Panthers – a team that played with more panache and confidence than any other in football a year ago. The team said it was a coach’s decision as to why Anderson took the first snap of the game. The Panthers rank 13th with 109.5 yards per game but just ended a stretch of three consecutive games with fewer than 100 yards on the ground. But those are nearly always Topics A, B and C on Fridays because it’s when the injury report for the Sunday games come out – and because Friday is the first time in three practices the media gets to ask questions of Seattle’s coach. He was just the second 100-yard rusher for a run game that has lagged most of the season.

Get Rawls going: The coaches keep saying this is like the third preseason game for Thomas Rawls because of the two months he missed with a cracked fibula.

The Carolina Panthers get what is likely their biggest test of the season in a finally healthy and capable Seattle Seahawks team.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson – The absence of Kuechly, allied to a defense that has given up 29th most passing yards in the league, and the 24th most points suggests that Wilson will get back on track this week after his struggles in Florida. LB Luke Kuechly expected to miss second straight game with concussion suffered November 17 vs. Saints.

“You can’t really tell where people are”. “It’s hard to see your brother go down like that”.

The Seahawks play the Green Bay Packers next week. They’ll prepare for Seattle on the same practice field they used before their loss in Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos at nearby Levi’s Stadium. Seattle DE Cliff Avril leads the NFC with 10 sacks. When Rivera has benched starters for breaking team rules in the past – defensive ends Kony Ealy and Greg Hardy, for instance – they were held out for all or part of a series. It was the first time of the seven the game was decided by more than 14 points. Carolina then lost cornerback Daryl Worley and linebacker David Mayo to concussions against the Seahawks. Thomas tweeted at halftime that he had “no regrets”, but that there was a lot running through his mind, “including retirement”.

“This game has been so good to me no regrets”.

Earl Thomas was carted to the locker room after suffering a fractured leg in Sunday’s game. Seattle made a change up front after giving up six sacks in a loss at Tampa Bay. The Panthers are playing their best interior offensive lineman out of position because they don’t have anyone else available, and Turner’s absence on the inside could prevent the Panthers from being able to establish clear running lanes to work with.