Seahawks at Panthers, Week 5
3rd Quarter, 2:46 left to go
Panthers ball, 1st and 10 from their own 30
The Play
Carolina opted to run a triple-option on first down, but the Seahawks were looking for run and attacked. Brandon Browner was unblocked on the outside, and while he may be a defensive back, he stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds. Browner confronts Cam Newton and forces him to pitch outside to DeAngelo Williams, but Browner is quick to diagnose and get to the ball carrier. Browner strips the ball while Williams tries to spin out of the tackle, forcing a fumble.
The Result: +.16 WPA for Seattle
Browner ended up recovering the fumble, giving the Seahawks excellent field position and a chance to take the lead. Russell Wilson and the rest of Seattle's offense capitalized, and the drive ended with an 11 yard TD pass to Golden Tate.
While the score may have shown differently, the Hawks had manhandled the Panthers all game long, so all they needed was a lead to protect.
Pretty impressive individual play.
I think I'd rather have Cam read out of the gun than from under center. And Browner had already pivoted before Cam got rid of the ball. Something tells me he has a wee bit more respect for the contact NFL defenders can deliver than what he saw in the SEC.
Looks like if Cam had faked the pitch and taken it himself he had an easy 4-5 yards and possibly more.
That was an extremely impressive play. Browner forces the pitch, corrects for it, tackles the running back behind the line of scrimmage, and forces the fumble. He does everything right and makes a huge play.
That play was emblematic of the Seahawks' defense on Sunday. They absolutely dominated the Panthers' offense.