SEATTLE — For a few glorious moments — the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, to be precise — it looked like the Seattle Seahawks defense was going to snatch an improbable victory away from the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
But after giving the Seahawks the lead, the defense couldn’t hold it and the Cardinals walked away with a 39-32 victory in a pivotal NFL game at CenturyLink Field.
The Seahawks (4-5) had staggered and stumbled their way into a deep hole early on in a game they had to win to put pressure on the Cardinals (7-2) in the race for the NFC West title.
The Seahawks trailed 19-0 in the second quarter and 22-7 and halftime, but they scratched and clawed their way back to make it 25-17 going into the fourth quarter.
Then, the defensive magic that marked this team the last two years struck and seemed to turn the game upside down.
On the second play of the quarter, from the Arizona 19-yard line, defensive end Cliff Avril flew around the right side of the Cardinals’ offensive line and knocked the ball away from Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer.
K.J. Wright recovered the fumble and nearly scored. Palmer just barely tripped him up, and Wright came down at the 3.
Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown on the next play. A two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Seahawks were back within one score at 25-23.
Then, four plays after the ensuing kickoff, the defense did it again.
Wright rushed Palmer from his linebacker position and came through untouched. He slapped the ball away from Palmer, and linebacker Bobby Wagner scooped up the fumble and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.
Seattle again went for two and failed, but they had the lead for the first time at 29-25, and they had all the momentum.
For all the world, it looked and felt like the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay last season, in which Seattle fell behind 16-0 with putrid offensive performance early on but exploded late to win in overtime.
However, Sunday’s game was the second time this season that Wagner scored a touchdown in a game Seattle ultimately lost. He also scored on a fumble recovery against Cincinnati to put the Seahawks ahead 24-7, but they eventually lost that game 27-24 in overtime.
Both of the sacks and fumble recoveries Sunday came on plays when the Seahawks rushed more than four defenders. The Seahawks are not known as a team that does that a lot.
“It was a fantastic job,” Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said of the defensive game called by defensive coordinator Kris Richard. “I thought it was a very aggressive change to our approach in that regard. I though Kris did a great job.
“To turn the ball over like that and make the plays, that was fantastic,” Carroll said.
Avril had a stellar game. In addition to the sack and forced fumble, he had three other quarterback hits and two tackles for losses. He finished with five tackles overall.
“Cliff Avril just came roaring off the ball tonight,” Carroll said.
But, in the end, the defense couldn’t hold it together.
After giving the Seahawks the lead at 29-25, the defense gave up touchdowns on drives of 83 and 80 yards.
That’s almost exactly the way they finished in the last home game, a 27-23 loss to Carolina, as well as the Super Bowl last season against New England, from which everybody remembers the final offensive play at the risk of overlooking two long fourth-quarter touchdown drives by the Patriots.
There were moments Sunday when the Seattle defense was devastating and intimidating.
Just not enough of them.
Again.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
