Seattle Seahawks step up, defeat Arizona Cardinals

Not in our house! Last nights game was much-needed win by a Seattle team who seemed at times this year to have lost it’s identity. Defense ruled the day, while the running game sputtered. Meaning only 1/2 of the winning formula worked and yet the Seahawks won. And it was sweet, wasn’t it?

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The game was not without its pitfalls. The offensive edges collapsed often and Russell Wilson was sacked 7 times and hurried an additional 8 times. If he can even move this morning, it’s a minor miracle. Still, Wilson completed 17 of 22 passes to 9 different receivers, for 211 yards, 1 td and a 121.6 passer rating. Two particular passes come to mind: a 48 yard bomb to Ricardo Lockette and a td pass to Cooper Helfet for a td.  Helfet broke coverage and took a pass 20 yards down the sidelines, going airborne to avoid tackles yet having the presence of mind to make sure that ball touched the pylon in the front corner of the end zone before falling to the turf. Spectacular.

Concern is on the rise for Marshawn Lynch. His bothersome back issue reared its ugly head and he spent some time throughout the game getting it worked on more than once. He still managed 39 yards rushing and  yds receiving. Russell Wilson was the Seahawks leading rusher on this day with  carries for 73 yards. The red zone offense still struggles. Multiple trips there resulted in 4 field goals. The Seahawks must figure this sticky issue out. It is one that has haunted them since last year, at least.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The defense last night looked like they did last year. 10 of 11 starters were on the field for the first time all season. What a difference Bobby Wagner‘s return made. Combine that with a healthy Kam Chancellor and the rest of the Legion of Boom, and the Cardinals never made it past the Seahawks 30 yard line in the second half.   Wagner and Chancellor each had 8 tackles. Cliff Avril had 2 sacks,  Jordan Hill had one and Byron Maxwell picked off a Drew Stanton pass. Richard Sherman completely shut down Michael Floyd, the man whose td gave a win to the CardInals last year.

And finally a big thank you to the fans. After game 1 and with all that has happened since, the 12th man sounded a bit subdued of late. Well, not yesterday. In a do or die game, with pride and playoffs in mind, you brought it. From the moment Lawyer Milloy raised the flag until the clock ran out at the end of the 4th quarter, you made your voices heard. Welcome back and let’s keep it going!

Given all their issues this year, this game seemed like a no-brainer Arizona win. But, hope springs eternal, and Seattle wins a game they needed desperately to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Next up, in 3 days, is a Thanksgiving game against the 49’ers, who own struggles offensively mirror those of the Seahawks. The Seahawks look ready, so let’s go get it!