RADIO
Carolina Panthers @ Seattle Seahawks
You know, all week practically every sports pundit flirted with the idea that the Panthers might actually have a chance in this game. Personally, I never bought into it. There’s a reason the winner of the NFC South had a losing record, and had the Arizona Cardinals actually had their healthy starters at the end of the regular season, we’re not even discussing a Panthers/Seahawks matchup. The Panthers hung around for as long as they could, trading points through the first half, but once the Seahawks found their stride in the fourth quarter, it was all over. Seattle’s 17 fourth-quarter were what ultimately decided this game by a score of 31 - 17.
The Seahawks look just as dangerous as they did this time last year, and it’s becoming more and more impressive how the team is able to win in a variety of ways. If Russell Wilson isn’t scrambling all over the place or Marshawn Lynch isn’t “beast moding,” then hey, why not a Kam Chancellor 90-yard pick six? It’s like Pete Carroll is choosing how they win out of a hat. Whatever works, I guess.
It's worth noting that the season certainly wasn't a complete loss for Carolina, though. Kelvin Benjamin has quickly become one of my favorite receivers in the league. Behind the ridiculousness that is Odell Beckham, I actually think Benjamin has the highest chance to repeat his breakout rookie campaign.
Maybe this is just me being a bitter Vincent Jackson owner, but part of me thinks Mike Evans in Tampa Bay was far too touchdown-dependent. Evans finished the year with 12 touchdowns compared to Jackson’s whopping two. Two touchdowns for a guy that was once one of the most feared receivers in the league. And it’s not even like their targets were shifted in Evans's favor either. Jackson finished the year tied for eighth in targets with 143 compared to 124 for Evans.
Why am I considering a Bucs wideout in a playoff recap about the Panthers and Seahawks? Because I want to highlight how I like the guy who is talented but doesn’t have a bizarre target-to-touchdown ratio skewing his stats on, and the guy who doesn't play opposite a fellow stud receiver. When I’m looking for my WR2 next year, I’m definitely snagging Benjamin before I pick Evans.
To put a bow on this game, we should point out the fact that these two teams couldn’t have came from two more different divisions. That probably explains the final score. While the South plummeted this year, the West only continued to get better, so it’ll be fun watching these groups in 2015. If Ravens/Patriots was the showstopper of the weekend, this was definitely the dud, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. That said, there’s no way Seahawks/Packers can disappoint us in the NFC Championship, is there?
