Seattle
Seahawks
6-9
31
FINAL
34
Carolina
Panthers
11-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 17 showdown, the Carolina Panthers narrowly defeated the Seattle Seahawks 34-31, solidifying their playoff position in the 2026 season. Both teams entered the game with high stakes, as the Seahawks aimed to secure a wildcard spot while the Panthers sought to enhance their standing in the postseason race.
Leading the charge for the Panthers was quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw for three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to deliver in clutch moments. On the other side, Seattle's Justin Fields put up impressive numbers with 280 passing yards, while Jordan Addison dominated the receiving corps with 175 yards, keeping the game competitive right down to the wire. James Cook III also contributed significantly on the ground, racking up 84 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Panthers made critical plays that turned the tide in their favor. Carlton Davis III's two interceptions proved vital in stifling Seattle's momentum and providing key opportunities for Carolina's offense. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Davis picked off Fields, setting up a touchdown drive that ultimately secured the victory for the Panthers.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Fields | QB | 35 | 19 | 54% | 280 | 3 | 2 | 85.4 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 35 | 19 | 54% | 267 | 3 | 0 | 107.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 21 | 84 | 4.0 | 15 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Javonte Williams | HB | 17 | 70 | 4.1 | 20 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 6 | 14 | 2.3 | — | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Addison | WR | 9 | 175 | 19.4 | 107 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 3 | 118 | 39.3 | 98 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 5 | 55 | 11.0 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 5 | 48 | 9.6 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Tank Dell | WR | 3 | 47 | 15.7 | 13 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Foster Moreau | TE | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | HB | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | — | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton Davis III | CB | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey Hendrickson | REDG | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamren Kinchens | FS | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trenton Simpson | WILL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Karlaftis | DT | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Clark | DT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Campbell | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | MIKE | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yasir Abdullah | SAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keisean Nixon | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyler Gordon | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Franklin-Myers | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Kilgore | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Muhammad II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryce Boettcher | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alim McNeill | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jer'Zhan Newton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Smyth | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 56 |
| Dominic Zvada | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 52 |

