The Seahawks head to Charlotte this weekend for a clash of first-place teams, with the Seahawks (12-3) looking to maintain their hold on the top seed, while the Panthers (8-7) are trying to stay atop the NFC South.

To help you get ready for this week's game and learn more about the Panthers, we reached out to Panthers.com senior writer Darin Gantt with five questions about the Seahawks' Week 17 opponent.

Q: The Panthers are in kind of a funny spot this weekend in that, even if they lose, they're playing for a division title in Week 18, and if they win and Tampa wins, that won't change anything either heading into the finale. Does that change anything about how they approach this game?

Gantt: Do you not remember Dave Canales, disciple of Pete Carroll? Dave has (enthusiastically, as he does) compartmentalized this one to pieces. His goal is to treat every unit of football — every meeting, every rep in practice, every practice, every game — into individual entities to maximize. So his thing from the start of the season has been to treat every day like a "championship opportunity." The Panthers are still young enough in their development as an organization that this is the smart approach to take. They're building, so no need to get ahead of themselves.

There are plenty of cool scoreboards at Bank of America Stadium, but Dave's not looking at any of them Sunday.

Q: The Panthers already have their best win total since 2017 and are currently in first place with two games left. What has allowed this team to make a leap in Year 2 under Dave Canales?

Gantt: I think the main thing has been that they stopped being one of the worst defenses in the history of the NFL. That helps. When injuries crushed them in 2024, they set a record for points allowed and were second all-time in rushing yards allowed. They're in the middle of the pack defensively this year. But when you improve 12 or 20 spots in the league rankings in one year, that's a big jump.

And the biggest part of that has been getting a big ol' Derrick Brown back on the field (he missed all but one game in 2024, hence the wrong kind of records). He's been massive and massively underappreciated. Nothing against your Leonard Williams, who is balling this year and deserves his Pro Bowl nod. But Derrick Brown not being named to one of the other two Pro Bowl slots in the NFC is at least negligent, if not criminal.

Q: Bryce Young has had his ups and downs over his first two seasons, but, from afar at least, looks to have taken another significant step forward this year. What is the former No. 1 overall pick bringing to the Panthers' offense in his third season?

Gantt: A lot, at least in the fourth quarters. Young's six game-winning drives this year are one short of a franchise record (Jake Delhomme, seven in 2003), and his 12 since he entered the league are the most of any player in the league since 2023. As the kids say, he has a vibe in the fourth quarter. (I don't know if kids say that.)

If you see him with that little vandal's smile on his face late in a game, it usually means he's onto something. Because he's a creature of rhythm, and when he gets on a roll, moves around, and sees the field, he can make plays.

Giving him a Tetairoa McMillan helped a lot, they have run well most of the year, and the offense has found a groove despite starting 11 different offensive lines in 15 games. As with defense, that's because the people are better.

As he said on Tuesday, it's not tennis; he's not out there by himself. The roster has stabilized since the Panthers saw the Seahawks last, and he's a big part of that, too.

Q: Other than the obvious big names, what player or players could you see being an X-factor for the Panthers in this one?

Gantt: They're obviously locked in on tightening up their special teams this week, considering your Mr. Shaheed (whom they know well from his days with the Saints). The coverage has been good for most of the year, except for the punt coverage at New England in Week 3 and the kickoffs last week.

It's also worth noting that with Jaycee Horn earning Pro Bowl honors, most of the passing game traffic goes the other direction. And your old friend Mike Jackson has been up to the task, tied for the league lead with 17 passes defensed so far this year.

Q: What matchup or matchups are you most looking forward to seeing play out on Sunday?

Gantt: I love a good story, so Sam Darnold vs. some of his old friends is fun to consider.

Sam is a delight. He's funny, self-deprecating, and can really draw. He's good people, and everyone here hopes for the best for him the other 17 weeks of the season.

Sam was quite good during his time here; it was just the timing was off with all the coaching changes, etc. Sam did a lot of the same things well here that he's doing there; he's just in a better situation than he was here then.

The Panthers have improved on defense, but the Seahawks offense is on another level this year, so it's going to be a challenge. But guys like Horn and Brown are capable of changing games, too, so seeing those veteran defensive stars against their former quarterback should be cool.