Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks: Full Report Card Grades for Seattle
After a troubling loss to the Kansas City Chiefs a week ago, the Seattle Seahawks (7-4) rebounded in a big way with a 19-3 victory over the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals (9-2). The win came in a game that was about as close to being must-win without actually being it, as the Seahawks entered the matchup in eighth place for the NFC playoff race.
It was a game dominated by defense, throughout the affair, with the halftime score sitting at 9-3. The Seahawks settled for three field goals in the half, despite starting three of five drives in Arizona territory.
The Cardinals never seemed capable of getting anything going offensively. Arizona kicker Chandler Catanzaro pushed an early field-goal attempt wide right, and the team had only one other opportunity to capitalize for the rest of the game. Seattle's defense refused to allow Arizona to get anything going on the ground, and Drew Stanton couldn't take advantage of man coverage.
It was a great showing from the Seahawks defense.
Let's take a look at the stats from the game:
Final Game Stats
| Arizona Cardinals | Category | Seattle Seahawks |
|---|---|---|
| 204 | Total Yards | 293 |
| 140 | Passing Yards | 169 |
| 4.8 | Yards Per Attempt | 5.8 |
| 64 | Rushing Yards | 124 |
| 3.2 | Yards per Attempt | 4.3 |
| 3-25 | Penalties | 7-74 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 3-12 | Third-Down Conversions | 5-13 |
| 24:33 | Possession | 35:27 |
Quarterback
1 of 10
The numbers weren't the most impressive we've seen from Russell Wilson this season, but in a game of this magnitude, against this opponent, his performance leaps off the page. Wilson finished with just five incompletions, going 17-of-22 for 211 yards and a touchdown.
The Seattle quarterback also ran for an additional 73 yards on 10 carries to give the team a semblance of a rushing attack. He seemed to finally find a rhythm with his less than stellar receivers, utilizing his tight more so than in prior weeks.
Early on, it appeared the Cardinals would not allow Wilson to utilize his legs to break long runs, though he did just that one play. As the game wore on, the runs from the third-year quarterback became more frequent.
Wilson was at his best on the game's only touchdown drive, completing all six of his passes for 70 yards and scrambling for a gain of 15 yards on 3rd-and-11. He finished off the drive with a short throw to Cooper Helfet, in which Helfet busted through Arizona's defense before diving into the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
With Marshawn Lynch's back ailing, it was tough sledding for Seattle's running game. Lynch had 15 carries for 39 yards, with a third of his yardage total coming on one run. The Cardinals defense was swarming in this one, refusing to allow Seattle to move the ball with the best strength.
Robert Turbin had four carries of his own for 12 yards. The two Seattle running backs combined for 51 yards on 19 carries for an average of 2.7 yards per tote. Arizona proved to be every bit as good as its billing in rush defense.
If not for Wilson's output, it would have been a horrendous day on the ground for the unit. I'll give it some credit for Wilson's rushing by accounting for zone-read plays, but it was a step back for the running back group. Through the air, Lynch pulled in three passes for 43 yards, while Turbin had two for three yards.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
As the season has progressed, the Seattle offense has had to adjust. It has adjusted to losing Sidney Rice and Golden Tate in the offseason, losing Zach Miller to injury and trading away Percy Harvin. The personnel losses have been caustic to an offense that had been capable of sustaining of drives and wearing down opponents a year earlier.
Sunday's game provided a glimpse into what may become the focus of Seattle's passing attack. Tony Moeaki and, eventually, Cooper Helfet and Luke Willson were the main receiving threats, with Helfet proving the sole touchdown of the day.
Moeaki made four grabs for 34 yards, Helfet had two receptions for 27 yards and Willson pulled in one catch for a 21-yard gain. Only Doug Baldwin made more than one catch, with two for six yards. Ricardo Lockette found himself wide open early for a 48-yard gain that would set up a field goal, but he was quiet the rest of the afternoon.
Grade: B
Offensive Line
4 of 10
The man who continues to pay the highest price for the Seahawks' porous offensive line remains Russell Wilson, who was sacked seven times for a loss of 42 yards. He had two of his passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage and was hit a total of 11 times in the contest.
Calais Campbell, in particular, was a handful for anyone blocking him. The offensive line was beaten a few times, seemingly without even laying a hand on the Cardinals defenders. As already covered, it failed to generate any kind of push for the rushing attack as well.
As the game wore on, the unit's pass blocking improved ever so slightly, but what is supposed to be the strength of the team was never a factor in the game.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
When the Seahawks defensive line performs well, the entire defense looks like the 2013 version of itself. Well, the defensive line was on point in this one, racking up three sacks, four tackles for a loss and six hits on the quarterback.
Cliff Avril led the way with two sacks, narrowly missing on two other opportunities. Avril was able to provide a consistent pass rush, along with Michael Bennett, to force Drew Stanton to move around in the pocket. Jordan Hill had the other sack in the game, finishing with two tackles and two hits on the quarterback as well.
The Cardinals rushed for 64 yards on 20 carries, with Stanton keeping the ball four times and rushing for 23 yards. Overall, anytime the Arizona running backs were handed the ball, they didn't run very far. The longest run of the day went for eight yards on a carry by Andre Ellington.
Grade: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
Bobby Wagner made a triumphant return to the lineup after missing most of the season with a torn ligament in his toe. He tied for the team lead in tackles with eight and managed to get one hit on the quarterback.
Wagner's presence went a long way toward shoring up any weaknesses made by the season-ending injury to Brandon Mebane. K.J. Wright had six tackles and a pass defensed and performed well in coverage. Arizona tight end John Carlson made three grabs for 25 yards in the game, with 19 coming on one play.
Andre Ellington made five grabs for 39 yards but rarely made any game-changing plays. Ellington was covered well, being targeted eight times, and several of his catches came on 3rd-and-long. The linebackers had a bit more pressure than usual this week, with the team placing an emphasis on stopping the run, but the unit was up to the task.
Grade: A-
Secondary
7 of 10
Outside of the eight completions allowed to Andre Ellington and John Carlson, the Cardinals completed just six passes to Jaron Brown and John Brown for 85 yards. Richard Sherman was almost never tested in the contest, though he finished with a pass defensed and four tackles.
The Cardinals, like most other teams, opted to pick on the penalty-prone Byron Maxwell. He was called for a controversial pass interference penalty early in the game and took a holding penalty later, but it was when he wasn't being tested that he truly stepped forward.
On a pass to a slot receiver, Maxwell left his man and intercepted the ball to set up a Seattle field goal in the first half. Kam Chancellor led the secondary with eight tackles, and Earl Thomas made a couple big stops on third down to stop Arizona from creating any momentum.
In all, the secondary had five passes defensed and allowed a measly 140 yards passing in the game.
Grade: A+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Arizona did not start a drive outside of its own 23-yard line on its six first-half possessions—this thanks to some fine punting by Jon Ryan and solid coverage on kicks and punts. Ryan averaged 50 yards on his three punts. Arizona attempted only two kick returns, averaging 22.5 yards per return.
Bryan Walters made the longest punt return of the season in the first quarter on a 21-yard return. He also had an 11-yard return later in the game. Steven Hauschka made four out of five field goals, including a 52-yard attempt, but he had a 49-yard attempt blocked.
DeShawn Shead blocked a punt later in the game to set up one of those Hauschka field goals. Seattle didn't have many opportunities to make things happen on kick returns.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
It looked as though it would be another long day for Wilson on one early drive. He had a pass knocked down on a screen pass to the right side of the field. It was the second time a defensive lineman had knocked down a pass in the game to that point.
On the ensuing play, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called another screen pass to the opposite side of the field that was blown up for a loss of six yards. Eventually, the offense showed signs of improvement, despite the lack of a running game.
Bevell did a solid job of adjusting and getting the team's tight ends more involved in the game plan. However, Seattle went 1-of-5 in the red zone, which is something that has to improve. Defensively, every unit looked great. The key is creating consistency, especially on the defensive line.
Grade: A-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | C |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | F |
| DL | A |
| LB | A- |
| DB | A+ |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | A- |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
The Seahawks defense looked like it had regained a bit of swagger with the return of Bobby Wagner to the lineup, and the unit as a whole played at a high level. Offensively, things continue to be a work in progress, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.
Making tight ends a bigger part of the team's passing game could provide a boost to an aerial attack that is in need of help.
"Remnants of a #seahawks victory #YEAH @komonews @KOMO4Sports pic.twitter.com/QxID8Sfuke
— MIKE FERRERI (@MikeKOMOsports) November 24, 2014"
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