Seattle @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 4, 2016 ) Carolina 7, Seattle 40

Two teams in the thick of the NFC wild-card battle square off on Sunday, when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Carolina Panthers. Carolina leads the competition entering Week 12 despite a blown opportunity last weekend while Seattle is just one game behind the Panthers.

Carolina suffered a 20-19 loss to Detroit when coach Ron Rivera opted to go for a late two-point conversion and came up empty, and now will look for happier times against the Seahawks. "I wouldn't call it fun," Rivera told reporters of playing the Seahawks, "but there is a certain challenge to it that I enjoy. (Coach Pete Carroll) has been a staple there. They've had a lot of success, and the challenge obviously is competing against their football team." Seattle made the playoffs five straight seasons before missing out last year, and the reloading squad finds itself in must-win mode every week the rest of the season. "This is a championship matchup for us - it wouldn't matter about any of that stuff," Carroll told reporters. "That's a long ways down the road. We don't change anything. We've just got to try to put together a great plan and execute and play like it's the only game we've got in the whole world - which it is."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Panthers -3.5. O/U: 47.5

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (5-5): Russell Wilson has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six consecutive games and has 23 overall against just five interceptions. But Seattle continues to rely more on a running attack that leads the NFL at 154.3 yards per game as Chris Carson (580) leads the way while receiving help from Mike Davis (372) and first-round draft pick Rashaad Penny (300). Stellar defensive end Frank Clark recorded two sacks in last week's win over Green Bay to raise his season total to 10 and give him 29 since the beginning of the 2016 season.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (6-4): Carolina has dropped back-to-back games to Pittsburgh and Detroit to all but fall out of the NFC South race with New Orleans running away with the division. Cam Newton (20 touchdowns, six interceptions) summed up the situation as "there's no cheat codes here, you've just got to knuckle up and get ready to play," as the team doesn't want to lose sight of the division race but also knows it needs to worry about notching victories. Mario Addison has recorded a team-best 7.5 sacks but is dealing with an ailing shoulder, while middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is 17 tackles away from reaching 100 for the seventh straight season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Seahawks have won five of the last six meetings, including a 40-7 rout during the 2016 season.

2. Seattle OLB K.J. Wright (knee) could miss his second straight game and eighth overall this year.

3. Carolina WR Torrey Smith (knee) is aiming to return after missing the last four contests.

PREDICTION: Panthers 33, Seahawks 31