Cardinals vs. Seahawks: What's the Game Plan for Arizona?

Sometimes the only way to approach a problem is through tautology, such as this: If the Arizona Cardinals are going to beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, they are going to have to beat the Seattle Seahawks.

No information went into the statement nor can any information be extracted. But that doesn't make it any less true.

Put another way, there are games when you need to worry less about the game plan and worry more about your players making plays. Some games simply cannot be won with X's and O's.

This is one of those games.

Arizona and Seattle know each other well, and there will be a lot at stake on Sunday night. The Cardinals (6-2) want to put some distance between themselves and the NFC West, and the Seahawks (4-4) want to keep their playoff hopes from falling into tatters.

So what can we expect on Sunday night, and who needs to play well? Let's take a look.

Offensive game plan

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Raise your hand if you've heard this one before: Arizona needs to block well, take its chances down the field and mix in the running game for balance.

The Cardinals' approach to offense is no secret, and it's fairly clear they aren't going to add in too many new wrinkles on a week-to-week basis. That said, there's one particular wrinkle we should take a look at.

Through eight weeks, Cardinals running backs have caught 25 passes, only 11 of which have come from Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington. Despite those two and David Johnson possessing good hands, they're not a big part of the passing game.

Sunday might be the right time for that to change.

It may be a fairly obvious thing to say, but the goal is to stretch Seattle's pass-coverage resources thin. Linebacker Bobby Wagner and nickel corner DeShawn Shead have struggled in coverage, so it logically makes sense to attack them.

What that does, however, is it forces Seattle to choose between using Earl Thomas to help Cary Williams over the top or taking on one-on-one coverage responsibilities elsewhere. 

We're going to see the same offensive philosophy we see from Arizona every week, but finding a different road could prove beneficial against the Seahawks' stingy defense.

Defensive game plan

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"Play until the whistle" may be one of football's oldest cliches, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful. In fact, that particular phrase should've been written in the biggest letters on the whiteboard in Arizona's defensive meeting rooms this week.

As much as any other team in the league, Seattle's offensive success comes from not giving up on a play. No one runs harder than Marshawn Lynch, and, at times, it seems as if Seattle's passing plays are drawn up not with route options but with the kind of vague improvisational cues directors and writers are so keen to put into scripts.

What's the key to coping with such an offense? Playing until the whistle, of course.

According to Pro Football Focus, all five of the Seahawks linemen have negative grades, while Doug Baldwin is the only receiver with positive marks. Jimmy Graham exists and is growing into his role, but this offense won't win with talent.

Arizona's defense must be the ones finishing plays on Sunday. It can't let Lynch churn out extra yards or let Russell Wilson run around until one of his receivers gets open. If the Cardinals let up for even one second, Seattle will make them pay.

It should be noted that Lynch, according to the team's official website, is now listed as questionable for Sunday's game with an abdominal injury.

Key matchups

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Arizona's offensive line vs. Seattle's pass-rushers

Similar to the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions, Seattle's defensive identity is built around getting into the offensive backfield and disrupting plays. On the season, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Bruce Irvin have combined for 14.5 sacks, more than the entire Cardinals defense.

Not only will Arizona's offensive line have a job to do keeping Carson Palmer on his feet, but it will have to find a way to make sure Seattle's speedy linebackers aren't entirely unoccupied in the run game. It's going to be a difficult challenge for a group that still has room to improve.

Larry Fitzgerald vs. Richard Sherman

This is always a fun battle, and it's already produced one of the week's better quotes. Speaking to Kyle Odegard of the team's official website, Fitzgerald had this to say about Sherman: "I hope he doesn’t follow me. Old, grizzly, washed-up veteran. Go follow Mike or something, or Smoke."

Fitzgerald probably won't get his wish, but the smart money says he'll be up for the challenge. And if Sherman does indeed shadow Fitzgerald, it will only make life easier for Michael Floyd and John Brown, who will be matched up with Cary Williams and DeShawn Shead. 

Bruce Arians vs. Pete Carroll

This is clearly a big game between division rivals with a lot at stake. Not only do both coaching staffs know each other well, but they've also had an extra week to prepare.

Does either staff have a trick up its sleeve or an unexpected game plan to tip the balance in its favor? The conditions are ripe for either Arians or Carroll to have a bigger-than-normal influence on the game's outcome.

Prediction

With your permission, I'd humbly like to backtrack on my midweek prediction (Seattle 21, Arizona 17). In light of Marshawn Lynch's injury worry, I've got this game belonging to the Cardinals.

It would be another fortuitous moment for Arizona should Lynch be hindered on Sunday night, and that goes double if he misses out entirely. He is the identity of Seattle's offense, and it's hard to see the Seahawks responding well without their silent leader.

Regardless, this will still be a close, high-intensity football game, one that Arizona will have to play well to win. A lot of players will need to step up and make plays, from the usual suspects—Tyrann Mathieu and Larry Fitzgerald—to those who sometimes go overlooked—Jared Veldheer and Bobby Massie. 

Expect Arizona to find just enough juice to grind this one out.

Final score: Arizona 24, Seattle 13