Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals: Full Report Card Grades for Seattle
Going into this week's game, most thought that a Seattle Seahawks win would be a cinch with third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley at the helm for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Seahawks proved that thought process to be unequivocally correct with a 35-6 thrashing of their NFC West foes.
Seattle reached several milestones in the game: racking up the most total yardage in franchise history, not allowing an opponent to score a touchdown for the fifth time this year, scoring 30-plus points for the fourth time and rushing for more than 250 yards.
There were much more important things on the line on Sunday night than milestones, however. There were tremendous playoff implications for both teams involved. The Seattle victory moved both teams to 11-4 heading into the final week of the season.
Since the Seahawks have beaten the Cardinals twice in 2014, they leapfrog Arizona for first in the division and usurp the top seed in the NFC playoff race.
The Arizona loss drops the Cardinals to second in the division and all the way down to sixth in the NFC, though they are assured of a playoff appearance.
Sunday Night's Stats
| Seattle Seahawks | Category | Arizona Cardinals |
|---|---|---|
| 596 | Total Yards | 216 |
| 329 | Passing Yards | 187 |
| 10.0 | Yards Per Attempt | 3.8 |
| 267 | Rushing Yards | 29 |
| 7.9 | Yards Per Attempt | 1.9 |
| 11-97 | Penalties | 1-5 |
| 0 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 5-12 | Third-Down Conversions | 3-15 |
| 33:03 | Possession | 26:57 |
Quarterback
1 of 10
Though the rushing numbers eventually began to match the team's passing totals, the offense's success rested almost entirely on the shoulders of Russell Wilson for much of this game. While the Seahawks rushed for 146 yards in the first half, 81 of them came on three Wilson scrambles.
Wilson also threw for 172 yards in the half, totalling 253 yards of offense in the first half by himself. The third-year quarterback finished the night completing 20 of 31 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns, along with 88 yards rushing and another score on the ground.
Wilson's total output for the evening accounted for 427 of the team's 596 total yards, three out of five touchdowns, the longest run of his career (55 yards) and a quarterback rating of 122.9.
After the Cardinals were able to sack Wilson seven times in the teams' first matchup, more of the same was expected.
However, Wilson did a great job of getting rid of the ball quickly and moving around in the pocket. He ended up being sacked just once in the game. Overall, as the game meandered along, it was apparent the Cardinals defense had no answer for what Wilson was doing to it.
Grade: A+
Running Back
2 of 10
With Marshawn Lynch suffering from an upset stomach, Robert Turbin and Christine Michael led the charge at running back for the majority of the first half. The reserve back duo did an admirable job with its opportunities before making way for the Pro Bowl running back.
Turbin finished the game with 38 yards rushing on 10 attempts, while Michael rushed for 28 yards on eight totes. Lynch would eventually get involved, taking a few short carries and scoring a touchdown from six yards out.
It took Lynch a bit of time to warm up, as he appeared to be lacking the usual fervor that he runs with. However, around midway through the second half, Lynch took off for a Beast Mode-like 79-yard touchdown run to officially put the game on ice.
The star running back finished the game with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. All told, Seattle racked up three rushing touchdowns, averaging 7.9 yards per carry for 267 yards against what had been the league's sixth-best run defense.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Luke Willson was a big-play machine in his return to the lineup, finishing the night with three catches for 139 yards and both of Russell Wilson's touchdown throws.
Willson first made his presence felt midway through the second quarter on an 80-yard touchdown reception to give Seattle a 7-3 lead.
Though Wilson to Willson may have made all the headlines in the evening's action, Doug Baldwin was an integral part of the Seattle passing attack as well. Wilson targeted Baldwin 11 times, with the receiver coming up with seven catches for 113 yards.
Baldwin joined in on the big-play fun with a 49-yard reception of his own. Rookie wideout Paul Richardson also made some nice grabs, totalling five for 52 yards. Overall, no running backs made a reception in the game, while seven tight ends and receivers accounted for the team's 21 catches.
The receivers and tight ends did a great job of not only getting open, but getting open quickly. It was a major key to the Seahawks attack after Wilson had been sacked seven times in the first meeting against the Cardinals this year.
Grade: A+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
With Max Unger still out of the lineup, along with Russell Okung, there was some consternation about what might happen to Russell Wilson in this game. Instead, despite missing the two starters, the offensive line kept Wilson clean for most of the night.
The Cardinals blitzed with five or six defenders as often as possible to cover up for their lackluster pass defense, but they only managed to drag Wilson down for a loss of 10 yards on just one sack. Wilson was hit four times in the game, and the Arizona defense made six tackles for a loss of yardage.
It was far from the dominant effort the Cardinals' front seven had put on display four weeks prior. Penalties continue to be an issue for the offensive line, but the team continues to prove capable of overcoming the lack of discipline of certain players.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Another game, another sack for defensive tackle Jordan Hill. The emerging defensive tackle has now picked up four sacks in the last three games.
O'Brien Schofield, the recently signed David King and the penalty-prone Michael Bennett each added one sack.
Arizona quarterback Ryan Lindley was hounded for much of the night, failing to show much mobility, and he was hit 12 times in the game. Bennett, King and Cliff Avril accounted for seven of the hits. The defensive line also managed to make five tackles for loss.
Bennett's inability to go a game without a penalty became a bit comical, if not infuriating, at one point when he managed to be called offside on back-to-back plays, resulting in a first down and a 1st-and-short situation.
The penalties are just something you live with with Bennett, but it was an especially bad sequence for the stud defensive end.
The Cardinals had hoped for a stronger performance on the ground in this outing, after Kerwynn Williams amassed 175 yard rushing in the two previous weeks.
The Seattle defense had other plans, however, as the Arizona offense was held to 29 yards on the ground for an average of less than a Trent Richardson run per carry.
Grade: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
Bobby Wagner and safety Kam Chancellor were flying around laying monstrous hits throughout the game, setting the tone for what would be another dominant outing for the Seattle defense.
The Seahawks have now allowed just 33 points combined over the last five weeks for an average of 6.6 points allowed per game.
The impressive run over the span has allowed the defense to slip past the Detroit Lions for first in scoring defense entering the final week of the season. Wagner led the defense in tackles—as usual—with nine, and he was one of the many to lay a hit on Ryan Lindley.
K.J. Wright, fresh off a four-year contract extension, narrowly missed an interception late in the game and made four tackles of his own. Bruce Irvin made two hits on Lindley and made two tackles, while Brock Coyle and Malcolm Smith performed well on special teams—although Coyle and Smith each accounted for boneheaded penalties as well.
It was another strong performance from the linebackers. Running backs and tight ends accounted for 82 of Arizona's receiving yards with several of them making first downs, but they were the focus in Arizona's game plan with their third-string quarterback in the game.
Grade: A+
Secondary
7 of 10
It was another sub-200-yard passing game for a Seattle opponent, despite the Cardinals having Larry Fitzgerald in the lineup for the matchup.
Arizona knew it could not count on driving the ball downfield methodically against this defense, like it tried last time, and attempted several deep passes instead.
Ryan Lindley was largely inaccurate throughout the evening, but Michael Floyd and John Brown's speed did create a couple of opportunities, though nothing serious. The receiving duo accounted for 95 yards on nine receptions, while Fitzgerald had 33 yards of his own.
Overall, the Legion of Boom never allowed the Cardinals to string together big plays. Arizona had 13 drives in the game with nine ending in a punt, one in a Richard Sherman interception and another ending with the game.
Seattle dominated from start to finish against an overmatched quarterback.
Grade: A
Special Teams
8 of 10
Steven Hauschka missed field goals from 52, 50 and 47 yards out, keeping a game that could have been put away earlier from being out of reach. Special teams penalties also marred the game, but they proved inconsequential as well.
Overall, Arizona was unable to make any major kick or punt returns with Ted Ginn. Hauschka should be fine; kickers have off days from time to time. Seattle is fortunate it happened now rather than in a playoff game.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaching staff was happy with the win against Arizona four weeks ago, but it clearly felt the team should do better. The defense came out with essentially the same strategy, but the offense made several key adjustments.
The tight ends were still heavily involved, despite Tony Moeaki missing the game due to injury. But Russell Wilson used several short dropbacks and got rid of the ball quickly compared to last time. The receivers did a great job of getting open by running routes over the middle rather than going for deep gains.
Seattle also did a great job of moving the pocket around to keep the Cardinals guessing, without them using any zone read in the game. It was a fantastic game plan from offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, and it showed that the offense is able to adapt when necessary.
Grade: A+
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A+ |
| RB | A- |
| WR/TE | A+ |
| OL | A |
| DL | A |
| LB | A+ |
| DB | A |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | A+ |
| Cumulative Grade | A |
Seattle is now in the driver's seat and can lock up the top seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season with a win over the St. Louis Rams next week.
St. Louis beat the Seahawks 28-26 during Week 7 in St. Louis, and the Rams could prove to be a great challenge for the Seahawks before the playoffs.
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