Carolina heads west, led by their backup quarterback Andy Dalton, hoping to find their first win. There has been a little consolation in the road trip after a 0-2 start because the Seattle Seahawks are pretty banged up as well. Starting left tackle Charles Cross and nickel corner Coby Bryant are out, and cornerback Riq Woolen and tight end Will Dissly are listed as doubtful. Seven other players are listed as questionable, but one Carolina wouldn’t mind missing Sunday—DK Metcalf—is likely to play.

Metcalf missed two days of practice this week, but he practiced in full pads Friday, and Pete Carroll reported, “He looked great.”

Carolina’s defense has been about the only bright spot this season, but missing stud corner Jaycee Horn makes for a difficult task when facing teams with good receivers—and Seattle has some really good receivers. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be a challenging matchup for Donte Jackson, CJ Henderson, and Troy Hill. Hopefully, Henderson’s length will help him deal with Metcalf, and Jackson’s speed will hold up against Lockett, who has been burning corners for almost a decade.

By Tony Dunn

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