By Jawann Bennett
The Seattle Medium/GameTime! Sportstalk
A very festive atmosphere hovered and surrounded a a crowd of 69,050 at CenturyLink Field for a rare Saturday football game…it was Christmas Eve! The newly crowned NFC West Champion Seattle Seahawks hosted last season’s division champions the Arizona Cardinals to settle a hard fought 6-6 tie when these teams played in October, thus making this the aggregate game.
Though the Cardinals have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this season, they have played the Seahawks very tough in Seattle. Even though Seattle had clinched a playoff spot, there were still higher goals that they were playing for. Seattle was looking to earn a first round bye in the playoffs, a feat they controlled their own destiny for. They also were looking to go undefeated at home for only the fourth time in franchise history. The previous three undeafeated home seasons resulted in a Super Bowl appearance for the Seahawks.
It sure didn’t begin well on offense for the Seahawks. Quarterback Russell Wilson and fullback Marcel Reece fumbled a handoff exchange on the Seattle 23-yard line during their first series. Five plays later, Cardinals running back David Johnson rushed 2 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 7:52 left in the first quarter to go up 7-0.
The Seahawks’ defense would hold steady until safety Kam Chancellor would leave after a second quarter near interception where tight end Jermaine Gresham rolled up on Chancellor’s left ankle.
After another anemic Seattle possession, Arizona would smell blood and bite as quarterback Carson Palmer would find wide receiver J.J. Nelson on a 80-yard touchdown pass with 3:53 to go in the first half putting the Cardinals up 14-0.
The Seahawks offense would try to bring a rally cry from the sideline to the field, as Wilson would find a rhythm in the next series with receivers Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. Lockett, who was coming off a career-high game against the Los Angeles Rams the week before, made a beautiful one-handed catch that was first ruled a touchdown. However after a replay, Lockett would not only be ruled down on the 1-yard line, he would be lost for the season and carted off the field as his leg was broken on the play.
Momentum seemed lost after that play as Seattle would go scoreless turning the ball over on downs that possession, but the Seahawks defense would cause an Arizona fumble two plays later. Yet Seattle’s offense would remain ineffective as they would have to settle four plays later for a Steven Hauschka 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-3 at halftime. Not only did Seattle’s offense fail to score 7 times inside Arizona’s 10 yard line, they only gained 93 total yards in the first half.
For whatever reasons, Seattle has been a team that notoriously responds to adversity and the second half was no different and as exciting as the first half was boring. Wilson came out on fire to drive the Seahawks offense down the field in 13 plays for 66 yards taking 6:40 ending in a 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jermaine Kearse to cut the lead to 14-10 Cardinals.
Later in the 3rd quarter, Arizona would again rely on the legs of Johnson after a 9-play, 61-yard drive ending early in the 4th quarter with Johnson in the end zone again rushing for a 2 yard touchdown plunge putting the Cardinals up 21-10.
Seattle would answer with a 9-play drive of their own taking 75 yards after another Wilson touchdown pass, this time to Baldwin for 42 yards cutting the deficit to 21-18 after a two-point conversion pass to Reece. Baldwin would finish with 13 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinals would answer immediately with a 4-play, 75 yard drive ending with another Johnson 1-yard touchdown run putting Arizona up 28-18 with 6:47 to go in the game. Johnson would finish with 95 yards on 28 carries and 3 touchdowns.
Seattle would then go 4 plays and out allowing Arizona to capitalize after 4 plays of their own and a Chandler Catanazaro 42-yard field goal to put the Cardinals up 31-18 with 4:10 left in the game.
Wilson would respond yet again driving the Seahawks 75 yards on 6 plays finding tight end Jimmy Graham on a 37-yard catch and rumble into the end zone to cut the lead to 31-25 Cardinals.
Arizona’s play calling would allow Seattle another possession to attempt to tie or take the lead as Seattle would force an Arizona punt with 2:31 to go. Wilson would again drive the Seahawks 45 yards on 6 plays in only 1:22 ending with another touchdown pass play, this time 5 yards to receiver Paul Richardson to tie it at 31 apiece. Though Wilson would finish with 350 yards passing to go along with 4 touchdowns (all in the second half), Hauschka would add to more special teams miscues from Seattle missing the go-ahead extra point. In addition, Seattle missed a field goal and had a punt blocked in the game.
Arizona would then take 8 plays to go 50 yards in 1:00 and setup a game-winning 43-yard field goal by Catanazaro to win 34-31 as time expired giving Seattle it’s first home loss this season after 8 games and dropping them to 9-5-1.
“Two teams that really want to win, unfortunately we didn’t win.” said Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner after the game when asked about the nature of the matchup with the Cardinals in recent seasons.
Seattle would also drop to the third seed in the NFC playoff race based on results from Week 16 of the regular season. They now need an Atlanta loss to New Orleans along with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers New Years Day to take back the two seed and earn a first round bye in the playoffs, otherwise they’ll host a Wildcard round game next weekend.
Pictorial Highlight of The Seahawks vs Cardinals
Staff Photos/Khalid Bennett
