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Cam Newton had an awful first half in the Carolina Panthers' Week 5 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, one of the worst of his young career, and in that sense it's almost a blessing that the Panthers trail by a score of just 6-3 going back to the locker room. Newton's just 3-for-15 with 40 yards passing so far, with five carries for 37 yards on the ground. The rest of the offense hasn't been any better; Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams have combined for four carries for 18 yards.
Things would be even worse if the Panthers hadn't been able to stop Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks' offensive focal point has seven carries for 28 yards. To make this game even weirder—the offensive MVP so far is struggling rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who's 12-for-13 with 123 yards.
Nobody has a touchdown, Cam Newton and Marshawn Lynch are completely punchless, and Russell Wilson is nearly perfect. The first half of Panthers-Seahawks might as well have been a mulligan; in the second half both sides will be hoping for something a little more conventional.