Cardinals Stun Seattle, Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Late TD

The Seahawks were unable to clinch the NFC West, while Arizona took all the necessary steps to stay in the playoff race. Seattle was +2 in the turnover differential and still came out with a loss at home to the visiting Cardinals.

AP

Carson Palmer was the 2nd QB to throw for at least 4 INT's on the road and still get out alive with the win. The win snapped Seattle's 14-game home win streak and was the first home loss for 2nd year QB Russell Wilson. Probably the biggest surprise for me during this game was the fact that the Seahawks were able to bring in 3 INT's in the 1st half but come out with only 3 points.

The Cardinals defense was a like a buzz-saw, shredding anything the Seahawks tried to bring their way. QB Russell Wilson may have had the worse game of his 2 year career, throwing 11-of-27 for 108 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Penalties were another major factor for the Seahawks, who were penalized for 102 yards on 9 penalties, which is unfortunately about their average per game.

Both teams were only able to muster up 1 TD the entire game, with both TD's coming late in the 4th quarter. The first quarter was more of an INT-fest for the Seahawks, intercepting 3 of Palmer's passes but they were only able to capitalize on one of them, converting one for a field goal early in the 2nd quarter. The Cardinals would respond with a field goal of their own in the 2nd quarter, but after sending Seattle 3-n-out (one of seven times the Seahawks went 3-n-out Sunday), Palmer would give away another INT late in the 2nd quarter that LB Malcolm Smith would return to the ARI 3-yard line with 42 seconds left. Seattle would fail to convert this drive into any points as well, with K Steven Hauschka missing a 24-yard field goal, ending his 22-made in a row streak. In the 3rd quarter the Cardinals would score another field goal to give them the lead 6-3. They would also recover a Seattle fumble on a punt return at the end of the 3rd quarter, but would end that drive early thanks to another Palmer INT to CB Richard Sherman. That would be Richard Sherman's second INT of the day but the Cardinals defense would again force another 3-n-out and score another field goal on their next drive to give them the lead 9-3. Seattle would finally respond to punches with a TD on their next drive, capping off their 6 play 25 yard drive with an 11-yard TD pass to TE Zach Miller. The Seahawks had finally regained the lead 10-9 with 7:26 remaining in the game and it would now be up to the defense to shut the Cardinals down and walk out alive. Well the Cardinals had something to say about that ending, and would go on to direct a 10 play, 80 yard drive capped off not only with an amazing catch by WR Michael Floyd, but also to really put a stinger on it, the defense allowed RB Rashard Mendenhall to walk right into the endzone for a 2-point conversion to give the Cards the lead 17-10 and give the ball back to the Seahawks with 2:13 remaining. Russell Wilson would go on to throw a very controversial INT that may or may not have bounced on the ground before LB Karlos Dansby caught it and iced the game for the Cardinals.

Getty Images

Prediction:

SEA over ARI 37-16

Final Score:

ARI over SEA 

This is the 2nd game in 3 weeks that the Seahawks lost, losing by a combined score of 9 points. This was Arizona's first win in Seattle since their last playoff run in the 2009-10 season and Seattle's first home loss since December 2011, in which they lost to another division rival, San Francisco.

Up next for the Arizona Cardinals will be a win or go home game against another division rival, the (10-4)San Francisco 49ers, in Glendale. The Cardinals lost earlier in the season to San Francisco, at Candlestick, final score 32-20. The winner of this game will punch their playoff ticket and could send the other team home packing depending on how the Saints and Panthers finish out.

The Seattle Seahawks will be staying home next week to take on a (7-8)St Louis Rams team that is coming off 2 big wins including the shocker over New Orleans back in Week 15. The Seahawks won the first meeting between these two at Edward Jones Stadium in a close, low scoring game 14-9. The Rams will be looking to spoil any winnings the Seahawks had their eyes on, however the last time the Seahawks lost 2 home games in a row was back in the 2011 season.

CHECK BACK LATER FOR A MORE RECAPS FROM A FEW GAMES AROUND THE LEAGUE AND ALL THE FINAL SCORES AS WELL, WILL BE UP LATER THIS EVENING.

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