CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Seattle Seahawks wanted to return to their roots, and did so on turf where they are winning with regularity.

Quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Wilson for the game’s only touchdown with 47 seconds remaining and the Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers 13-9 on Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.

The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks (4-3), who snapped a two-game losing streak, were in danger of falling into their worst rut in more than two years.

Instead, they won in this stadium for the third year in a row.

“It was big for us,” Wilson said. “I thought our defense was relentless. That’s what we talked about (Saturday) night, about being relentless.”

The Seahawks drove 80 yards in nine plays, with Wilson accounting for 53 yards on 4-for-4 passing and adding 21 rushing yards on two carries. Seattle never led until the touchdown.

The quarterback’s message in the huddle on the final drive was basic: “Let’s go win the game,” he said.

That message seemed to spread throughout the team.

“It’s about us,” Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said. “It’s our attitude, the daily grind and keep getting better. That’s how we play this game, we adjust.”

Carolina kicker Graham Gano kicked three field goals, including a go-ahead boot from 46 yards out with 4:37 remaining.

Carolina (3-4-1), which leads the NFC South, is in the midst of a three-game winless stretch.

“They ended up making one more play than us,” Panthers cornerback Josh Norman said.

The Seahawks said they were determined to get back on track.

“It never felt like it was going to go south,” cornerback Richard Sherman said. “We shook it off. Our offense did a great job and drove the ball down the field and pulled it out.”

Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin said: “It feels better. It feels like we really earned this game.” On Carolina’s go-ahead fourth-quarter drive, the Panthers averted trouble with less than 10 minutes left when Seattle lineman James Carpenter failed to wrap up quarterback Cam Newton on a would-be safety. Two plays later, Newton threw from the end zone into double coverage, connecting with wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin for 51 yards.

Wilson ended up 20-for-32 for 199 passing yards.

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart gained 79 yards on 16 carries. Newton completed 12 of 22 passes for 171 yards.

“I have to be better and I will,” Newton said.

Until the winning drive, the Panthers held Seattle to 230 yards of total offense after they were torched the previous two weeks against Cincinnati and Green Bay.

What the Seahawks said:

“These past few weeks reminded us of who we are. We’re a grind-it-out, blue-collar team.” — Wide reciever Doug Baldwin after the team produced a late-game victory for the third year in a row at Carolina, this time halting a two-game losing skid.

What the Panthers said:

“They put a drive together that ultimately ended up being the game-winning drive. Us as a defense, we have to play all four quarters.” — Linbacker Thomas Davis, who led the team with a game-high 10 tackles in the loss to Seattle.

What we learned about the Seahawks:

1. There was a lot of reflection from players that seem to suggest that they looked internally and determined what they could do better individual to help the team return to the winning ways. “What is going on in the outside never matters in the locker room,” cornerback Richard Sherman said, dismissing any suggested distractions derailing the team. “It never matters when you’re out on this field and you’re making plays.”

2. The defense can still be dominant and that’s something the team wants to make sure remains a foundation. The Seahawks racked up five plays in which Carolina lost yards. “We just closed the gate and finished for a change,” saftety Earl Thomas said. Seattle held Carolina to 266 yards of total offense, including only 113 yards in the second half.

–LB Bruce Irvin made two sacks on the final Carolina possession that allowed the Seahawks to clinch the outcome. He had only one other assisted tackle in the game, but his impact seemed far reaching — as was his praise for the coaching staff. “I just think the coaches gave us good one-on-ones,” he said. “We brought it home for them.”

–QB Russell Wilson is careful with many of his comments, so he came short of acting like he took any special joy in winning at Carolina. He played his first three years of college football for North Carolina State, so it’s a bit of a homecoming game given the location in the same state. He has played in Charlotte in each of his three NFL seasons and has won each time.

–TE Luke Wilson, a second-year pro from Rice, was in the starting lineup against Carolina because of an injury to TE Zach Miller, who was inactive for the game. Wilson’s lone catch was a 23-yard play for the winning points. QB Russell Wilson said the tight end has good body control and can be another weapon for the offense.

What we learned about the Panthers:

1. There’s still hope for the offense’s rushing attack even with an injury-riddled backfield. Much of it comes because of the presence of quarterback Cam Newton, whose ability to gain yards on the ground is a bonus for the offense. Running back Jonathan Stewart was the only Carolina running back with more than one carry against Seattle, but with the way he was running (4.9 yards per attempt), it made sense to keep going to him.

2. They still want to be known as one of the better defenses in the NFL, but in order to have that reputation they’ll need more outings like the one against Seattle. Now it’s a matter of carrying that type of play through to the end of games because the Seahawks scored the winning points on their last drive. One of the bugaboos for the Panthers across the past several years — perhaps with 2013 the exception — is that they’ve allowed late-game scores by opponents that put dampers on otherwise strong defensive outings. “I thought we did a great job (against Seattle) of playing strong, playing with enthusiasm,” linebacker Luke Kuechly said. “You’ve just got to make sure you’re playing the whole game.”

–RB Jonathan Stewart showcased a determined running style that gave Carolina’s offense a boost at times even though the Panthers never made it into the end zone. He gained 79 yards on 16 carries, with chunks of the yardage coming after he absorbed initial hits.

–LB Luke Kuechly didn’t seem to lack aggression a week after he was ejection for an incident with a game official. While the Panthers were later told that Kuechly shouldn’t have been kicked out of the game at Green Bay, Kuechly was probably even appreciated even more by the home fans. He finished with seven tackles against Seattle, including a few crushing hits that were crowd pleasers.

–WR Kelvin Benjamin wasn’t in the starting lineup for the Seattle game, a bit of a change from the norm. Benjamin called it a coach’s decision, but the rookie seemed to go out to prove a point that he deserves to be on the field as much as possible. He made one-third of the Panthers’ receptions with four catches for 94 yards, accounting for more than half of the team’s receiving output.