The best record don't mean chit against a team that has finally jelled. I'm not saying anything about home field advantage, I hope the seahawks beats the Aints. If the Panthers and the seahawks meet again don't take the panthers for granted.
What do you mean by "finally jelled"? The Panthers tore it up in the last half of last season. Losing thier home opener to Seattle as should be obvious by the Hawks record at this juncture cannot be seen as a slight to a very good team. Then they go to Buffalo and lose by one point 24-23. Then in week three the Panthers crush the Giants 38-0 in Carolina.
Almost EVERY team that has lost to the Seahawks this season has lost the very next game. Seattle plays a very physical game. It appears from what has happened that it takes longer to heal up from a contest with the Seahawks than most other teams.
By all right and logic Seattle should be undefeated. In Indy Seattle took an early lead and was about to blow out the Colts. Seattle recovered a fumble in the EZ and was awarded a 2pt safety instead of a TD (5 points taken of the board) then a flukey blocked Seattle FG was recovered and run back for a TD that SHOULD have put Seattle up by three scores in the first half and effectively forced the Colts to play fast and loose in catchup mode which is Seattle's wheelhouse and M O giving our DBs extra opportunity for ints. But the ten point swing allowed the Colts back into the game. We fucked up on Special Teams on one play and it cost Seattle it's only loss.
My point is that the Panthers are a very good team. They have been since midway of last season. The have lost twice to the Seahawks in two years AT Carolina in a pair of slug fests. Seattle is just a better team..not by a lot.. but better and with that in mind I can't see Carolina coming into the Clink and winning.