Cardinals vs. Seahawks: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season

Throughout the 2014 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks have largely failed to regain their Super Bowl-winning form. On Sunday, the Seahawks demonstrated that they're still capable of putting together a defensive masterclass, beating the Arizona Cardinals, 19-3, at CenturyLink Field.    

At least for a Week 12 matchup, the stakes couldn't have been much bigger. A win keeps the Seahawks alive in the NFC West, while a loss could've possibly condemned them to a seat at home for the postseason.

The importance wasn't lost on head coach Pete Carroll.

"There's a lot out there," he said before the game, per ESPN.com's Terry Blount. "We know we have to do it one week at a time, and with Arizona starting, that's the only game in the world that matters."

His players responded brilliantly, especially on the defensive side. Seattle held the Cardinals to 204 yards of total offense.

Drew Stanton has performed well in Carson Palmer's stead for much of the year, but he was a complete non-factor Sunday. He finished 14-of-26 for 149 yards and an interception.

Alex Flanagan felt that Stanton never looked comfortable under center, with too many of his throws missing their targets:

Exacerbating Stanton's bad day was that he looked to have tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter, per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora:

The Seahawks also kept Andre Ellington in check, limiting the running back to 24 yards on 10 carries. He added 39 receiving yards on five catches (eight targets).

Seattle had offensive problems of its own, with Marshawn Lynch not looking like himself. The team announced early on that Lynch was slowed by a back injury, and that seemed to linger throughout the entire game:

He went for 39 yards on 15 carries, with an additional 43 yards on three catches.

Russell Wilson stepped up large in Lynch's absence, throwing for 211 yards and a touchdown while adding 73 yards on the ground. His mobility was vital as the Cardinals pass rush swarmed him the entire game. NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano made the point that most other QBs would've been eaten alive:

After the game, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas praised Wilson's toughness, per ESPN's Britt McHenry:

Wilson's performance illustrates that he doesn't need to be prolific for the Seahawks to be a great football team. In ugly games like this, his ability to avoid turnovers and extend plays with his feet proves invaluable.

The first half was a defensive struggle, with the two field-goal kickers providing the difference. Steven Hauschka made three of his four field-goal attempts, with Chandler Catanzaro going 1-of-2 on the other side to give the Seahawks a slim 9-3 lead through two quarters.

Of the two teams, Seattle most likely felt disappointed with the halftime score.

The Seahawks had a 1st-and-10 at the Cardinals 18-yard line on their first drive of the game but had to settle for a 27-yarder from Hauschka.

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

In the second quarter, Seattle moved all the way down to Arizona's 8-yard line and had a 1st-and-goal situation. Wilson was sacked for a six-yard loss on first and third downs, which kept Seattle out of the end zone once again. It in turn grabbed a 6-0 lead with 12:52 left in the half.

Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell intercepted Stanton on the next drive to give Seattle great field position. Once again, though, the offense stalled, and Hauschka banged home a 52-yarder to make it a 9-0 game.

Following a three-and-out from the Arizona offense, Wilson nearly broke the game open. On a designed run, he got outside and found space down the sideline. Wilson scampered down to the Arizona 9-yard line, but the impressive run was wiped out by a holding call on wideout Jermaine Kearse.

Blount believed that the referees might've given Seattle a raw deal:

Making matters worse, Hauschka had a 49-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Arizona.

The Cardinals responded by marching 74 yards down the field in 5:14, with Catanzaro's 23-yard field goal capping the drive and getting his team on the board before halftime.

Neither offense got into any sort of groove, with the two teams combining for 232 yards:

Arizona's pass rush was on point, sending Wilson to the turf on five occasions, which was the most sacks Seattle has given up in a game all season, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Blount took a more positive outlook, arguing that all things considered, it could've been worse for the Seahawks:

The second half began much as the first ended, with yet another field goal. Hauschka handed Seattle a 12-3 lead on a 40-yarder 6:26 into the third quarter.

Kenneth Arthur of Rolling Stone noted that the 29-year-old just about covered the kicker spectrum:

"

Hauschka has hit field goals in the 20, 30, 40, and 50-yard range. Guys.... he kicked for the cycle.

— kenneth arthur (@KennethArthuRS) November 23, 2014"

After knocking on the door so many times, the Seahawks really put some distance between themselves and the Cardinals with less than a minute left in the third. Wilson connected with tight end Cooper Helfet for a 20-yard touchdown pass, giving Seattle a commanding 19-3 lead.

The TD was a just reward for Helfet, who didn't have any wasted movement on his way to the end zone. Gregg Bell of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, tracked the 25-year-old's activity on the play:

With the way the game had unfolded to that point, a 16-point lead looked gargantuan. In addition, as good as the Seahawks defense was in the first half, it played even better in the second. Arizona crossed the 50-yard once in the entire half.

When Seattle plays this well, it's among the best teams in the league. It will be interesting to see if the team can carry this over into the coming weeks.

With the win, the Seahawks climb to within two games of the lead in the NFC West. The result is also good news for the San Francisco 49ers, who entered Week 12 with the same record (6-4) as Seattle. The two teams face off on Thanksgiving night in what could serve as a division-title eliminator.

The Cardinals can't be too despondent after the loss, since they're still sitting atop the division. However, this game will make many question whether Stanton can lead Arizona on a deep run through the postseason.