The Sports Xchange

RENTON, Wash. — Another week, another fourth-quarter collapse for the Seattle Seahawks.

In all four of their losses this season, the Seahawks were incapable of holding onto a fourth-quarter lead. In two of those defeat, the lead was at least nine points. If not for a forced fumble by Kam Chancellor at the goal line against the Detroit Lions, it would be five of six games in which a late lead evaporated.

After grabbing a 23-14 advantage with 11:46 left Sunday, the Seahawks allowed two 80-yard touchdown drives to the Carolina Panthers. A defensive miscommunication led to tight end Greg Olsen running wide open into the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left to play, leaving Seattle with a 2-4 record. It is already more losses than Seattle had in its championship season in 2013 and as many losses as it sustained all of last season.

“It’s very frustrating,” safety Earl Thomas said, “especially when you know we had them. We don’t suck. We know who we are. We’re not finishing.”

The Panthers owned the 29th-ranked passing offense in the league coming into the game, and quarterback Cam Newton was held to 107 passing yards through three quarters Sunday. In the fourth quarter, though, Newton completed 12 of 15 passes for 162 yards and the game-winning touchdown pass.

In the past three fourth quarters and one overtime in Cincinnati on Oct. 11, opposing passers are 35-for-40 for 381 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle.

“We pride ourselves on finishing games, and we haven’t been able to do that this year,” defensive end Cliff Avril said. “We have to get back to that some kind of way, and we’re definitely going to try to. We’ve just got to find our identity and what it’s going to be.”

Seattle is outscoring its opponents by a 107-64 margin through the first three quarters of games, a plus-43 point differential that is sixth best in the league, according to STATS LLC. However, the Seahawks are being outscored by a 61-27 margin in the fourth quarter and overtime, a minus-28 differential that is 31st out of 32 teams.

The failings aren’t solely on the defense allowing the points. Seattle isn’t converting enough first downs offensively to keep possession late in games. The Seahawks had just four first downs in the final six possessions against the Bengals, and they managed just two first downs in the final three drives against the Panthers. They have not scored an offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter since Week 1 against the St. Louis Rams.

Seattle was just 4-for-14 on third down against Carolina and converted only one of its final six third-down opportunities.

“We have to get the job done to keep the drives going,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “If you look back, our numbers have not been good late on third downs, so that’s the biggest challenge for us is just to keep the ball in our hands and keep moving it and reap the benefits of what that means.”