Seahawks vs Cardinals: 5 takeaways from a painful loss

Dec 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver J.J. Nelson (14) catches an 80-yard touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver J.J. Nelson (14) catches an 80-yard touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Dec 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Russell Wilson found his mojo again

The first half for Russell Wilson looked much like the last 3 games. He was 8 of 16 passing. He was sacked 5 times, and hit 10 times. The offense did nothing of significance, other than fail to punch the ball into the endzone on 7 tries from inside the 9 yard line.

The second half was a completely different story. After struggling with his accuracy again in the 1st half, Wilson settled in and started picking apart the Arizona defense.

Wilson’s final stat line was fairly amazing. He was 29 of 45 for 350 yard and 4 touchdowns. Wilson threw the Seahawks back into this game, matching the Cardinals drive for drive and point for point.

Wilson even got the read-option game working. With no holes being opened by the line for Thomas Rawls and Alex Collins, it was up to Wilson to create some balance for the offense. Wilson rushed 10 times for 36 yards despite some terrible blocking.

If Wilson can play like he did in the second half once the playoff start, the Seahawks can make some noise. If he plays like he did in the first half, it’ll be a quick playoff exit for the Seahawks.