The Sports Xchange

SEATTLE — The first two times Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen caught a pass deep in Seattle territory Sunday afternoon, he came up a yard short of the end zone. It seemed like an appropriate metaphor for the Panthers’ recent trips to Seattle.

With the game on the line in the final minute of Sunday’s game, Olson got another chance and strolled into the end zone untouched for the game-winning score.

Olsen’s 26-yard touchdown reception with 32 seconds left gave Carolina a 27-23 win over the struggling Seahawks as the Panthers improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2004.

“It’s a great win,” Olsen said after hauling in a Cam Newton pass between trailing Seattle defenders Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman to complete the Panthers’ comeback from a 13-point, second-half deficit. “It does only count for one win; that’s the way this league works. But it felt good. We’ve had some battles against these guys.”

The Panthers ended a three-year draught against the Seahawks, who had beaten Carolina four times in that span.

“This was one of the bigger victories we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who is in his fourth year as Carolina’s head coach.

Olsen caught seven passes for 131 yards and the touchdown, which came on the same exact play that resulted in a 32-yard reception to the 1-yard line on the Panthers’ previous drive.

Newton completed 20 of 36 passes for 269 yards and the touchdown and also ran for a score. Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart ran 20 times for 78 yards and scored two touchdowns. All four of Carolina’s touchdown drives covered 80 yards.

Seattle gave up 383 yards of offense and got victimized by a late touchdown in the final minute of regulation for the second week in a row.

“It’s very frustrating,” Thomas said. “We knew we had them. We don’t suck. We know who were are. … I’m glad we’ve got a game Thursday (at San Francisco). We get to get back on the football field.”

What we learned about the Panthers:

1. Carolina is a legitimate NFC contender. Beating Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Houston and Jacksonville was one thing. Coming back from 13 down at Seattle was the kind of performance that has to make the NFL sit up and take notice. Not only are the Panthers one of five unbeaten teams remaining in the league, but they also are 5-0 for the first time since 2004 — the only time the franchise went to a Super Bowl.

2. Quarterback Cam Newton is taking the next step. Much as Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton did against the Seahawks seven days earlier, Newton proved himself in a clutch situation — and this one was even more impressive, considering the environment. He was only the third quarterback to win a game in Seattle since Russell Wilson took over as starting quarterback, and Newton had to do it in dramatic fashion.

3. Tight end Greg Olsen is a huge weapon. On an offense that lost veteran Steve Smith Sr. to free agency and No. 1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin to injury, the emergence of Olsen as a go-to guy is invaluable. Two of his seven receptions Sunday set up 1-yard scoring runs, while his final catch, a 26-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left, proved to be the game-winner.

Etc.

–MLB Luke Kuechly played for the first time in four games Sunday, and he had a team-high 14 tackles. Kuechly, who was sidelined due to a concussion, proved to be a big weapon as the Panthers faced one of the NFL’s top scrambling quarterbacks, Seattle’s Russell Wilson.

–QB Cam Newton may have put together the biggest drive of his career late Sunday afternoon. Having already led the Panthers on three 80-yard drives, Newton completed all six of his passes for 89 yards — overcoming a 9-yard sack along the way — as he led Carolina to the game-winning score. His clutch, 26-yard touchdown pass to TE Greg Olsen with 32 seconds left might be not only the defining moment of the Panthers’ season, but also be the defining moment of his career.

–TE Greg Olsen caught seven passes for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown Sunday. Two of his receptions brought Olsen to the 1-yard line, leaving RB Jonathan Stewart to score. His final reception saw Olsen finally get into the end zone in the Panthers’ 27-23 win at Seattle.

–RB Jonathan Stewart scored two touchdowns in the Panthers’ win at Seattle. Both runs came from the 1-yard line on a day when he had 78 yards on 20 carries.