The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks met up Sunday night in a game that would determine control of the NFC West and help to solidify the playoff standings. The Seahawks set out to wrestle away the top spot in the division from the Cardinals, who were playing with a quarterback in just his second NFL game since 2012. The Seahawks did that and more in a 35-6 win.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals 2014 final score: Seattle records impressive 35-6 win
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks put up nearly 600 yards of offense in a 35-6 win over the Cardinals that put them in the driver’s seat for the NFC West.
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Russell Wilson and the offense proved to be too much for the Cardinals defense, racking up 596 total yards. The defense was just as dominating, limiting Arizona to just 3.4 yards per play. It added up to a rout for Seattle, who moved to the top of the NFC West and could clinch the No. 1 seed with a win next week.
Here’s what we learned.
1. Russell Wilson can win with his legs.
The Cardinals are the NFL's best at preventing the rush, and they largely kept Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin in check (particularly on the edge) until the end of the game. But there wasn't much the Cardinals could do about the Seattle quarterback. The second he checked his options in the pocket, he was gone. In fact, he rushed for a 55-yard scamper that was his longest of the season. If he can't get the ball to his receivers, he can make hay with the running game and run for touchdowns on his own. And with tight end Luke Willson's two touchdowns, Wilson still has options through the air.
But, uh, Marshawn Lynch also broke out for a 79-yard touchdown run that was one of the year’s best plays:
2. Arizona needs to figure out its offense.
It's not Ryan Lindley's fault. He's the third-string quarterback (behind Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, both out with injuries) going against a Seattle defense that's getting back into 2013 form. He wasn't expected to produce greatness, but he was expected to produce something on offense -- and that just never happened. He averaged just 4.9 yards per attempt, his biggest yardage coming off of a Seattle pass interference penalty in the first quarter. As Cris Collinsworth said, if Seattle hadn't missed three field goals, the game would have been over well before the fourth quarter. That said, the Arizona offense managed just two scoring drives for field goals and couldn't produce a touchdown, even when in the red zone.
3. Is Seattle the Super Bowl favorite again?
At the end of October, the Seahawks looked like they'd be spending the playoffs at home after losses to the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams. But since the beginning of November, the Seahawks have looked more and more like the team that stomped its way to a Super Bowl title last season. A win over the Rams in Week 17 would clinch home field advantage.
For much of the season, the Seahawks didn’t appear to be up to the standard they set last season. That has changed in recent weeks. The defense has been dominating and if the offense plays anything like it did on Sunday, it may be tough to keep Seattle from hoisting the Lombardi trophy in back-to-back years.
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