The Seahawks had an unusual week leading into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, but they didn’t look unprepared when they hit the field in Seattle on Sunday.
A major storm knocked out the power to the team’s practice facility for several days and created other issues around the region, but the Seahawks were able to dial in for an outstanding defensive effort. They sacked Kyler Murray five times and safety Coby Bryant returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown in a 16-6 win that moved the Seahawks into first place in the NFC West.
The trying conditions came after the Seahawks had lost their last four home games and head coach Mike Macdonald said his team “didn’t blink” in the face of anything on Sunday. Quarterback Geno Smith credited the team’s fans with lifting them to a winning performance.
“It was huge,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “I know our city was hurting for a couple days without power. That’s funny, because they were electric today. I felt like they really brought the juice for us. We wanted to repay our fans. We always want them to be excited and happy for our team. The more we win, the more that builds, so we’ve got to keep this thing going.”
The Seahawks will be on the road to face the Jets and Cardinals the next two weeks. If they can handle that business as well as they handled Sunday’s, they’ll be getting a hero’s welcome once they’re back at Lumen Field.
The Cardinals came into Week 12 in sole possession of first place in the NFC West, but there will be a new boss in Week 13.
Geno Smith and Jaxon Smith-Njigba hooked up for a touchdown just before halftime and the defense kept the Cardinals out of the end zone for the entire afternoon in Seattle. The 16-6 win lifts the Seahawks to 6-5 on the season and gives them a leg up on the Cardinals when it comes to tiebreakers.
The Rams will play on Sunday night and they could also get to 6-5, but the 49ers won’t be part of the logjam at the top of the division.
Smith-Njigba set up the touchdown with a 46-yard catch-and-run that stood out on a day when both offenses did a lot of scuffling. The Seahawks were unable to get back into the end zone after halftime, but Coby Bryant returned an interception 69 yards for a score and Jason Myers made it a 10-point game with a 50-yard field goal just after the two-minute warning.
The Cardinals tried to keep hope alive by trying a field goal with 15 seconds left, but Chad Ryland pushed it left and the Seahawks sealed their win.
Smith finished the day 22-of-31 for 254 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Smith-Njigba had six catches for 77 yards and DK Metcalf had four catches for 59 yards, including an 18-yarder that helped set up Myers’s kick.
Kyler Murray had a strong game in Arizona’s Week 10 win over the Jets, but his return from the bye was not a particularly strong outing. He was 24-of-37 for 285 yards and that costly pick by Bryant. Murray was sacked five times with Leonard Williams leading the way for the Seattle pass rush. He had 2.5 sacks and four quarterback hits as the Seahawks limited Arizona to a 3-of-12 mark on third downs.
The Seahawks will move on to face the reeling Jets next Sunday and then they’ll head to Arizona for a rematch with the Cardinals. The Cardinals will be in Minnesota for a game that will have plenty of playoff implications in the NFC.
The offense got the Seahawks the lead late in the first half against the Cardinals and the defense stretched it out in the third quarter.
Defensive back Coby Bryant snatched a Kyler Murray pass out of the air on a fourth down and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. Murray delivered the pass while being pressured by cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who blitzed inside and then pivoted quickly to chase down Murray as he rolled right looking for a receiver.
The Seahawks were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after Bryant did a Marshawn Lynch imitation on his way into the end zone and kicker Jason Myers missed the extended extra point.
That leaves the score 13-3 with under seven minutes to play in the third.
The Seahawks punted the first four times they had the ball on Sunday, so they needed someone to spark their offense against the Cardinals.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba turned out to be the guy they were looking for. Smith-Njigba turned a short Geno Smith pass into a 46-yard gain that put the Seahawks inside the Arizona 5-yard-line after the two-minute warning.
Smith and Smith-Njigba hooked up for a three-yard score a couple of plays later and that allowed the Seahawks to get to halftime with a 7-3 lead.
The Cardinals pass rush dropped Smith for four sacks and they’ve only allowed 21 yards on the ground, but their offense wasn’t able to take advantage of opportunities. They only had one drive that reached Seahawks territory and it ended with a field goal when a holding penalty took a Kyler Murray touchdown pass to Michael Wilson off the board in the second quarter.
Both teams will try to find more consistent answers on offense after the break and the team that does should position themselves for a win.
The Seahawks will not have tight end Noah Fant for Sunday’s home game against the Cardinals.
Fant was listed as questionable due to a groin injury and the Seahawks have him on their inactive list for the game. Tight end Brady Russell was also ruled out on Friday, which leaves A.J. Barner, Pharaoh Brown, and Tyler Mabry as the available tight ends.
Wide receiver Laviska Shenault, cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, linebacker Trevis Gipson, guard Sataoa Laumea, and defensive end Myles Adams are also inactive.
Cardinals first-round pick Darius Robinson was listed as questionable to make his regular season debut, but he’s inactive with a calf injury. Cornerback Max Melton is active after being added to the report with an illness on Sunday.
Safety Jalen Thompson, linebacker Julian Okwara, offensive lineman Christian Jones, tight end Travis Vokolek, and wide receiver Xavier Weaver are the other inactive players for Arizona.
