Zach Charbonnet rushed for a season-high 110 yards and two touchdowns and the Seattle Seahawks’ defense was dominant in a 27-10 victory against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C.
The NFC West-leading Seahawks (13-3), who limited Carolina to 139 yards of total offense, won their sixth consecutive game and improved to 7-1 on the road.
Seattle’s Sam Darnold completed 18 of 27 passes for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Jaxon Smith-Njibga had nine catches for 72 yards.
Bryce Young completed 14 of 24 passes for only 54 yards with one interception for Carolina (8-8), which leads the NFC South. Rico Dowdle rushed for 59 yards on 12 carries.
The Seahawks broke a 3-3 tie by scoring a pair of third-quarter touchdowns off turnovers.
Ex-Seahawk Mike Jackson intercepted a Darnold pass intended for Smith-Njigba in the back left corner of the end zone on the opening drive of the second half.
Seattle’s defense got the ball back on the next play as DeMarcus Lawrence not only forced a fumble by Chuba Hubbard but also recovered the ball at Carolina’s 21-yard line.
Six plays later, Charbonnet scored on a 2-yard run up the middle, giving the Seahawks a 10-3 lead.
Young was then picked off by Julian Love, whose 29-yard return gave Seattle the ball at the Panthers 26.
Darnold threw a 17-yard scoring strike to tight end AJ Barner to extend the lead to 17-3.
The Panthers finally found the end zone on Young’s 10-yard scramble with 13:41 remaining in the fourth.
Seattle responded with a 14-play drive that took 8:08 off the clock and culminated with Jason Myers’ 30-yard field goal to make it 20-10.
Charbonnet scored on a 1-yard run with 2:31 left for the final margin.
The teams traded field goals in the first half, with Myers connecting from 48 yards late in the first quarter and the Panthers’ Ryan Fitzgerald booting a 35-yarder late in the second after a Darnold fumble.
Seahawks wide receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed suffered a concussion late in the first quarter and didn’t return.
