Sam Darnold faces Panthers, looks to lead Seahawks closer to NFC West title

By Canadian Press on December 26, 2025.

Seattle (12-3) at Carolina (8-7)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Seahawks by 7.

Against the spread: Seahawks 10-5, Panthers 9-6.

Series record: Seahawks lead 9-4.

Last meeting: Seahawks beat Panthers 37-27 on Sept. 24, 2023.

Last week: Seahawks beat Rams 38-37 in OT; Panthers beat Buccaneers 23-20.

Seahawks offense: overall (7), rush (21), pass (6), scoring (3).

Seahawks defense: overall (8), rush (3), pass (14), scoring (2).

Panthers offense: overall (25), rush (11), pass (26), scoring (27).

Panthers defense: overall (17), rush (19), pass (16), scoring (13).

Turnover differential: Seahawks minus-4; Panthers even.

Seahawks player to watch

QB Sam Darnold. The Seahawks have five straight wins with Darnold under center. Next up for Darnold is one of his former teams, the Carolina Panthers, who allowed him to leave in free agency following two seasons in Charlotte in 2021-22. Darnold revived his career last year in Minnesota, and has built on that success this season in Seattle. Seattle can clinch the NFC West this weekend with win and a Rams loss or tie against the Falcons as well as a 49ers loss or tie against the Bears.

Panthers player to watch

DE Derrick Brown. Brown could be extra motivated this week to show the rest of the league that he’s still a difference-maker after getting snubbed in the Pro Bowl voting despite finishing third in the fan voting. Brown, who was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2023, has 54 tackles along with seven pass breakups and a career-best five sacks.

Key matchup

Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Panthers CBs Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Smith-Njigba has emerged as one of the league’s best wide receivers with 104 catches and more 1,600 yards receiving this season along with 10 touchdown catches. On Sunday he’ll face two of the league’s better cornerbacks in Horn and Jackson. The long and physical Horn was selected as a Pro Bowler for his second straight season. The Panthers normally don’t rotate Horn to the opponent’s best receiver in large part because they have confidence in Jackson’s ability to cover out on the island.

Key injuries

Seahawks: T Charles Cross (hamstring) is questionable after missing last Thursday’s game against the Rams. S Coby Bryant, who left the Rams game with a knee injury, could miss Sunday’s game against the Panthers. Seattle is otherwise relatively healthy.

Panthers: QB Bryce Young strained his ankle in last Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay but remained in the game and is expected to play against the Seahawks. Other than that, the Panthers made it through last week’s game relatively healthy and should be close to 100%.

Series notes

The Seahawks have dominated the series, winning four of the past five and eight of 10. Seattle has scored at least 23 points in each of the past six meetings.

Stats and stuff

The Seahawks have 12 wins in their first 15 games for the first time since 2019. Seattle went 10-7 last season and hasn’t had a losing season since 2021 under Pete Carroll. … The Seahawks are 7-3 against NFC foes this season. … Mike McDonald needs one road win to move into second place for the most road wins by a head coach in his first two seasons in NFL history with 14. …TE A.J. Barner has set single-season career highs in receptions (47), yards (462) and touchdowns (five). … Zach Charbonnet needs one touchdown to become the first Seahawks player since Marshawn Lynch (2014) to have double-digit rushing touchdowns in a season. … WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards this season, needs 90 yards to become the second player in NFL history with at least 90 receiving yards in 14 games within a season, joining teammate Cooper Kupp (16 games in 2021). … Ernest Jones IV has at least 100 tackles for the fourth season in a season. … Jason Myers needs eight field goals made to pass David Akers (2011) for the most field goals made in a single season in NFL history with 45. … The Panthers can wrap up their first NFC South title since 2015 with a win and the Tampa Bay loss to Miami. … QB Bryce Young has 12 fourth quarter or overtime game-winning drives since coming into the league in 2023, the most of any QB in the league. … Under second-year Dave Canales the Panthers are 11-5 in one-score games, tied for the fourth-best winning rate in the league since 2024. Carolina is 4-1 in overtime games under Canales. … The Panthers have converted 23 of 33 fourth down conversions attempts. They rank fourth with a 69.7% conversion rate. … Carolina has scored on its opening possession in 10 games this season, tied for the most in the league with the Los Angeles Chargers. … Panthers RB Rico Dowdle is only the sixth undrafted player to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in back-to-back seasons.

Fantasy tip

Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan has five touchdown receptions in the past five games.

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The Associated Press