Panthers-Seahawks game staying in primetime

The Panthers-Seahawks game might not have the allure it did in previous seasons, but the Dec. 4 matchup is staying in primetime.

NBC will keep the game in its "Sunday Night Football" slot at 8:30 p.m., a league spokesman said Tuesday. With the Panthers (4-6) scuffling after their Super Bowl season of 2015, there was some thought the game could be flexed to a late-afternoon kickoff.

Seattle (7-2-1) has a comfortable lead in the NFC West, while the Panthers trail first-place Atlanta (6-4) by two games in the NFC South.

Next month's game will mark the seventh time the Panthers and Seahawks have met in the past five seasons, including the playoffs.

Carolina came from behind to win at Seattle during the regular season last year, then eliminated the Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs.

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Panthers-Seahawks game staying in primetime."