Seahawks vs. Cardinals 2013, Week 7: Live coverage, score updates and more

Seattle, home of the 12th Man.

And just four days after the Chiefs set the new record for the loudest stadium. Tough week for Seahawks fans. The face of the fan in the Richard Sherman jersey (#25) really says it all.

It’s hard to find a game the Seahawks will drop in the next month. Four games separate Seattle and a Week 12 bye, and Pete Carroll’s team will face opponents with a combined record of just 5-16. It’s conceivable they can win out before the off week, which would put them at 10-1.

One area Wilson needs to improve moving forward is protecting the ball on contact. A lot is made of his lack of interceptions, but fumbling has been an issue. He has fumbled eight times this season, losing five (including two costly turnovers inside the red zone which resulted in 10 points for Arizona on Thursday). It’s easy to look past these problems when Seattle is winning big, but this is an element to his game that will be exploited by defenses.

The game seemed to be relatively close at halftime. The Seahawks led 17-10 at intermission, with the Cardinals reeling off 10 straight points thanks to a pair of big plays defensively. A 4th-and-1 stop near midfield and a strip-sack on Wilson near the goal line led directly to a field goal and a touchdown, respectively. Coming out of the third quarter, the Cards were able to force a punt, then drive for a field goal to make the score 17-13.

Russell Wilson was the star of the game. He went 18-for-29 passing for 235 yards and three touchdowns, plus he added another 29 yards on the ground. Marshawn Lynch padded his stats in the second half to finish with 91 yards rushing and a touchdown on 21 carries.

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Update: Tate has returned in the second half and has not been limited by his foot injury.

The Seahawks haven’t had much problem moving the ball through the air, gaining 183 yards with over eight minutes left in the third quarter. Tate was one of the team’s most effective receivers, gaining 45 yards on three catches, mostly on short routes.

Coleman is Seattle’s starting fullback, and it will be interesting to see if his absence will hurt Marshawn Lynch’s ability to run the football in the second half. Coleman is not an offensive threat, but a reliable lead blocker who opens holes in a questionable Seahawks offensive line. Lynch ran for 46 yards on 10 carries in the first half without too much trouble, but the Arizona Cardinals defensive line has gotten effective penetration throughout Thursday’s game.

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Just before halftime, Wilson made up for his mistake to lead the Seahawks down the field for a field goal. The drive included an incredible effort by Wilson and Rice to pick up 16 yards on 3rd-and-8. Rice made a diving catch that was initially ruled incomplete, but reversed when review showed that Rice was able to slide his arm underneath the football and retain control on the ground. The drive stalled out with a pair of penalties at the 20-yard line, and Steven Hauschka booted a 51-yard field goal to cap scoring for the half.

The Cardinals have just 69 totals yard of offense compared to 219 for the Seahawks, but they have made the defensive plays necessary to keep the game close. For the half, Wilson is 12-for-18 passing for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Carson Palmer is 8-for-12 for 70 yards and an interception.

Full inactive lists below:

Ryan Williams, RB -- coach’s decision

Hope you weren’t afraid of birds, because guess what? YOU ARE NOW.

ABOMINATIONNNNNNN

The two teams have split their last four meetings with turnovers being a big factor. Arizona has a turnover differential of minus-eight in its two losses compared to minus-one in the two wins. Seattle has not won at Arizona since 2010.

Thursday, Oct. 17, 8:25 p.m. ET

The Seahawks are listed as a 6.5-point favorite on the road. The eight experts at CBS Sports are torn on that spread, with four panelist siding with the Cardinals. However, when picking straight up, the entire CBS panel chose the Seahawks. For Yahoo! Sports, the choice was simple with a sweep for the two-man panel in favor of Seattle.

The SB Nation five-man panel also likes the Seahawks against the Cardinals. Only NFL fantasy guru David Fucillo picked the Cardinals to win.