Newton benched for start due to dress-code issue

Had 269 pass yards & 2 TDs (1 pass, 1 rush) in last regular-season meeting.

The Panthers will have a hard time against the Seahawks this Sunday night now that they are without their starting left tackle, starting center, backup center, and backup right tackle.

The Seahawks are an enviable 7-0 straight-up and against the spread in their last seven games in Week 13. A win on Sunday will clinch a fifth straight winning season for the Seahawks, tying the longest streak in franchise history.

The Seahawks are the only unbeaten team at home in the National Football League this season. Given the state of Carolina’s offensive line and the missing pieces on defense, this one won’t be particularly close. This season he is on track for career lows in passer rating and completion percentage.

While numerous Panthers offensive statistics are down from a year ago, they still remain one of the most diverse running attacks in the league with Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert and Newton. Probably something resembling their week 6 matchup in 2015 that featured a lot of offense, not much defense, and came down to a touchdown with less than a minute to play that gave Newton his first win against Russell Wilson. Last season, it was 22.6. Furthermore, even if against Tampa he didn’t have the best of days, he still managed to notch up 80 yards, showing his danger in so many areas of the game.

The Seahawks will have to deal with Greg Olsen once again, who has torched them in the past. Seattle answered on its next possession with Thomas Rawls going 45 yards to push the lead back to 17-7. But now it’s December. It’s reasonable to expect that the Panthers should have SS Kurt Coleman and MLB Luke Kuechly out of concussion protocol. Carolina credited good health for playing a role during the successful run to the Super Bowl.

In the six games Newton has played against the Seahawks, he has not had his typical performance. Now is the month for fewer excuses and more results for the league’s 27-ranked rushing offense.

SEAHAWKS Defence – OVERALL (7), RUSH (14T), PASS (10).

In addition to Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett, starting center Justin Britt (expected) and three-time All-Pro safety Earl Thomas (less so) returned and were full go during the indoor workout. And Willson is dealing with a sprained knee suffered last week at Tampa Bay. The night will show it’s a better team than that one, too. While the Seahawks have been far from dominant at CenturyLink Field, it will be another hostile environment for the Panthers.

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. He missed one game with a high-ankle sprain.