Unfortunately, the out-of-division rivalry between the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks isn’t quite what it used to be. After facing off a total of 10 times over a contentious 10-year span from 2010 to 2019, the matchup has cooled of late.

But with both teams angling towards a return to postseason play, perhaps Sunday will provide a spark—just like old times.

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Here are our biggest storylines for the Panthers’ Week 17 showdown with the Seahawks . . .

The giant killers

Facing the No. 1 seed in the NFC isn’t new to the 2025 Panthers. In fact, they seem to enjoy it.

Their first shot at the top dog came in Week 9, when they upended the Green Bay Packers en route to a 16-13 victory at Lambeau Field. Then, in what may have been an even more surprising result, Carolina turned away the visiting Los Angeles Rams for a 31-28 triumph in Week 13.

The Panthers will now get a third crack at another upset—this time, with the 12-3 Seahawks. And if they pull it off yet again, there may be little doubt that this group can hold their own—even versus the class of the conference—come playoff time.

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Sam was here

To lay claim to a third upset, the Panthers will have to slow down an old friend—quarterback Sam Darnold.

The second of Darnold’s five NFL stops came in Carolina, where he spent a pair of interesting seasons. The former third overall pick started in 17 games for the Panthers between 2021 and 2022—passing for 3,670 yards, 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

While he didn’t exactly resurrect his pro career in Charlotte, Darnold bought himself some more time—moving into a backup role with San Francisco in 2023, then taking off as a starter for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. That campaign resulted in 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdown throws and a three-year, $100.5 deal with the Seahawks.

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Darnold has continued his solid play, as he’s currently sitting on career-highs for completion percentage (67.2) and yards per attempt (8.7). And behind him, the Seahawks have averaged the seventh-most total yards per game (354.9) through 16 weeks.

Finally?

The Panthers have not clinched a playoff berth since 2017 and have not captured the NFC South crown since 2015. But those franchise-long droughts can end on Sunday.

Thanks to last week’s massive win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina is set up to take the division this weekend. For that to happen, they’d need a win over Seattle and a Tampa Bay loss to or tie with the Miami Dolphins.

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If those specific outcomes are not met, then the whole kit and caboodle will be on the line in Week 18—when the Panthers meet up with the Bucs for a second time. And while that would be one heck of a way to close out the regular season, winning the NFC South in front of the home crowd in Charlotte may be a whole lot sweeter for the organization’s deserving fans.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers vs. Seahawks 2025: Biggest storylines for Week 17