TALKING POINTS
This was an absolutely devastating defeat for Seattle. The Seahawks were hoping to get right back in the race for the NFC West with a victory Sunday, and the situation seemed to be in Seattle’s favor. The Seahawks were coming off a pair of victories that got the team back to .500, the defense appeared to be straightened out, the team had an extra week of preparation because of the bye week, and Seattle was 9-0 in prime time home games since Pete Carroll took over as coach. A win would have pulled the Seahawks back within one game of Arizona at the top of the division.
Instead, the Seahawks now find themselves three games behind the Cardinals with seven games to play, which in all likelihood puts the division title out of reach. At 4-5 Seattle may have to run the table just to get into the playoffs, considering it required 11 wins to earn an NFC wild card spot each of the past two years.
It wasn’t just the loss, it was the nature of the loss that hurt. Seattle played an awful first half, falling behind 19-0. The Seahawks stormed back in miraculous fashion, with the defense creating two fumbles on sacks deep in Arizona territory that were returned for touchdowns (the first was brought back to the 3-yard line following a review, but Seattle scored on the next play anyway). Somehow Seattle found itself with a 29-25 lead early in the fourth quarter.
But then those fourth-quarter woes reared their ugly heads again. Arizona responded by marching down the field on long touchdown drives on its next two possessions, with the first of those restoring the Cardinals’ lead and the second one clinching the game. The Seahawks have now blown fourth-quarter leads in all five of their losses this season.
The 39 points were the most Seattle allowed in a game since losing 41-7 at home to the New York Giants on Nov. 7, 2010.
Also worth noting:
– There was a scary moment in the second quarter when Arizona guard Mike Iupati had to be taken off the field in an ambulance following a collision with Seattle safety Kam Chancellor. Replays showed Iupati ducked his head when he went to block Chancellor. Iupati was immobilized, but Arizona coach Bruce Arians reported after the game that Iupati thankfully had returned from the hospital and was back with the team.
– Seattle just killed itself with penalties. The Seahawks were flagged 14 times for 131 yards, both season highs. At one point in the first half Seattle’s offense had 33 yards on nine offensive plays, but minus-30 yards worth of penalties.
– There was talk in the lead-up to the game about Seattle possibly shadowing Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald with cornerback Richard Sherman. However, Sherman stayed on his usual left side, and the Cardinals were not shy about throwing Sherman’s direction.
– It was yet another bizarre instance of a team winning despite losing the turnover battle, as Seattle won the turnover battle 3-1. In the Seahawks’ nine games the team that’s lost the turnover battle has won seven times.
– Wilson had by far his worst game in terms of completion percentage. Wilson was 14-for-32, which is 43.8 percent. He completed at least 60 percent of his passes in each of his first eight outings.
– Despite the loss Seattle had some good individual efforts. Defensive end Cliff Avril was a wrecking ball in the Arizona backfield with a sack, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. Receiver Doug Baldwin had his best game of the season with seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
– On the injury front, Seattle had receiver Paul Richardson (hamstring) and linebacker Bruce Irvin (knee) leave the game and not return. The extent of the injuries is not yet known.
TURNING POINT
Seattle had just scored its second consecutive touchdown thanks to a sack/fumble early in the fourth quarter, taking a 29-25 lead. The Seahawks needed to consolidate that with a stop, and it appeared they did when Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer threw incomplete on third-and-10 from the Seattle 39-yard line. However, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was flagged for illegal contact, giving the Cardinals a first down. Two plays later Palmer hit Jermaine Gresham for a 14-yard touchdown to restore Arizona’s lead.
QUOTABLE
“It was really disappointing that we put out such a miserable first half of football, to be that far behind the sticks with penalties and all that, it’s really hard to play ball.”
– Seattle coach Pete Carroll
BOX SCORE
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