SEATTLE — It was another slow start for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, as the lowly Carolina Panthers jumped out to a 17-0 lead at Lumen Field.
However, despite a few uncharacteristic mistakes in the first half, Geno Smith got the Seahawks right back in the game with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns.
The comeback effort ultimately came up short for the Seahawks, further hurting the team's chances of catching the San Francisco 49ers in the race for the NFC West title.
Here are three takeaways from the Week 14 loss:
Lockett's consistency
Tyler Lockett set a franchise record with a touchdown catch in his sixth straight game, hauling in one of Smith's two scoring passes in the first half.
Since 2015, Lockett has been a regular contributor in the passing game, and continues to lead the Seahawks with his work both on and off the field.
The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee has been an integral part of the seamless transition this season from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith for the Seattle offense.
Ragged run game struggles
The Seahawks were having trouble keeping a healthy running back on the field in their narrow win over the Los Angeles Rams last week, and Seattle's inability to move the ball on the ground once again plagued the offense Sunday against the Panthers.
Travis Homer led the Seahawks with just 26 rushing yards, as both Kenneth Walker III and Deejay Dallas were inactive due to injury.
Geno Smith had his worst performance of the season Sunday, and will need more consistency from the run game in order to maintain balance with the Seahawks' offense.
Run defense woes
This continues to be a trend for the Seahawks. Week 14 was the Seahawks' fourth straight game allowing at least 150 yards rushing, and the second in the last three where Seattle's opponent topped 200 yards on the ground.
Carolina is far from an elite rushing unit on offense, and yet both Chuba Hubbard and D'Onta Foreman topped 70 yards individually and the Panthers totaled 223 rushing yards.