The Seattle Seahawks beat the Carolina Panthers 27-10 in a classic East Coast away game for the franchise. Everything seemed to go against them as their few flaws were highlighted and several calls seemed to go Carolina’s way. When you find a way to win regardless of the circumstances, you control the game- and build momentum controlling the conference. The Seahawks remain atop the NFC with a chance to clinch the number one seed this week if the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams lose.
Here are 4 Studs & 2 Duds from Week 17.
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StudsJulian Love
Julian Love picked up the slack in the secondary with Coby Bryant out. He tied for the team lead in tackles with six, grabbed an interception (which he returned for 26 yards), and defended a pass. He also put the final nail in the coffin with a fourth down tackle on Tetairoa McMillan which put the game out of reach. He controlled traffic from the free safety spot to hold Bryce Young to 54 passing yards on the day. Love is back to excellent form at the perfect time ahead of the playoffs.
DeMarcus Lawrence
When Seattle gets into defensive battles, DeMarcus Lawrence takes over games for Seattle. He tied with Love for a team-high six tackles and led the team with four pressures, including one sack and two hurries. He also had a tackle for loss, and a crucial forced fumble that led to a touchdown and helped the Seahawks establish control over the game. Despite missing time with injury early on, Lawrence made the Pro Bowl and has been one of the best free agent signings in the NFL in 2025. He can make the difference in another defensive battle against the San Francisco 49ers next week.
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Zach Charbonnet
After Kenneth Walker had his best game of the season last week, Zach Charbonnet had one of his best today. He consistently found positive yards against a tough Carolina front and rushed for a total of 110 yards on 18 carries (6.1 yards per carry) and scored two of the Seahawks three touchdowns. He also ripped off a 29-yard rush in the first half to put Seattle in the red zone. While Walker is more talented, Charbonnet’s the more reliable short-yardage option and has carved out enough trust to continue his role in the timeshare come playoff time. He might lead the backfield again next week as a better matchup with the 49ers defense that doesn’t give up many big run plays.
AJ Barner
AJ Barner came up clutch for the Seahawks once again in Week 17. He caught all three of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown. All three of his catches came at crucial moments- one was a 17-yard score to put the Seahawks up two possessions, one was a 16-yard catch-and-run to convert a 3rd-and-9 to 1st and Goal on the 4-yard line, and one was a 10-yard catch on the opening drive of the second half that got the chains moving for the first time. He was also a Stud in the run blocking game, though, blocking on 25 of the offense’s 33 run plays, and even blocking on 9 passing plays while running routes on 18. His well-roundedness is vital to the unit’s overall production, and with just a few touches, he made as much a difference as any player on the field today.
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DudsAnthony Bradford
It’s been a long season for Anthony Bradford, and guard is the most-needed position around the NFL- but Pro Bowl snub Derrick Brown gave Bradford fits today. His poor positioning is the weakest link on the offense on a bevy of plays each game. He played a big role in letting Brown allot 4 pressures and 3 hurries on Sam Darnold. He did pave the way on one of Charbonnet’s touchdown runs and held his own on some pass rush reps, but he’s the Achilles heel for the offensive line, especially against better defensive interior talent. He’ll need to have a statement game against the 49ers formidable front next week to prove he can hold up against playoff-caliber teams and help the offense reach it’s ceiling.
Cooper Kupp
While Cooper Kupp is a huge culture boost to the team, today was the latest edition of him failing to capitalize on massive moments this season. He’s made a living with sure hands and great technique as a possession target for years. So when he drops two of his three targets this week, catching just one for 6 yards, disappointing is a fair description of his production. He had a rough red-zone fumble last week, but bounced back stoically. However, when the game script rarely gives him more than 3-5 chances per game, he feels like a luxury on the field. He had the chance to catch a touchdown in the fourth quarter but didn’t create enough separation, which wasn’t crucial to the game. It stood out more than normal, though, since he dropped an open hitch route at the end of the first half. He did have a crucially intelligent block on Barner’s touchdown. He affects the game in small, yet important ways, but his days of big-time numbers as a receiver might be done.
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still the foundation of the offense’s gameplay, catching 9 of 12 targets for 72 yards and setting up everything in between… Ty Okada set the tone with a tackle for loss on the second play of the game, and [head coach] Mike Macdonald praised his open-field tackling prowess after the game… Riq Woolen took the Panthers’ star rookie wideout in Tetairoa McMillan out of the game, allowing just 1 catch for 3 yards total, and avoided being penalized… The Seahawks run defense allowed only 59 yards to Rico Dowdle, and upped their streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher to 25 games and counting.
Kenneth Walker was given 15 carries but consistently struggled to find running room, gaining only 51 yards on the ground. His vision is as unorthodox as it’s ever been, and he’s gone from an elite workhorse running back to a volatile playmaker. When he’s good, he’s awesome, but he’s been hurting the team’s momentum by staying in the backfield so much. He also needs to work on his ball carrying, and nearly gave away another costly fumble today.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks vs Panthers: Seattle Studs and Duds from NFL Week 17 victory