Russell Wilson, Seahawks Cruise to 27-10 Win over Kyler Murray, Cardinals

The Seattle Seahawks started off their divisional play with a 27-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Seattle took a 20-3 lead into halftime highlighted by a pick-six from defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and put the game indisputably out of reach for Arizona just before the two-minute warning with a nine-yard rushing touchdown from running back C.J. Prosise.

It was Seattle running back Chris Carson who had the better day, though, with his first 100-yard performance of the season. More notable was that he did not fumble the ball after recording a fumble in each of the Seahawks' first three games.

Cardinals rookie quarterback Kyler Murray is still seeking his first win as an NFL starter, but he did secure his first rushing touchdown in the league with 10:21 left in regulation to help cut Seattle's lead to 20-10. The Cardinals' 33 fourth-quarter points in 2019 are tied for second-most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference, but they have not managed to dig themselves out of any early holes.

As a result, Arizona is 0-3-1 while Seattle improves to 3-1.

Notable Stats

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks: 22-of-28, 240 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions; two carries, seven yards

Will Dissly, TE, Seahawks: seven receptions, 57 yards, one touchdown

Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks: 22 carries, 104 yards; four catches, 41 yards

C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks: three carries, four yards, one touchdown

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks: four catches, 51 yards

Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals: 22-of-32, 241 yards, no touchdowns, one interception; four rushes, 27 yards, one touchdown

David Johnson, RB, Cardinals: 11 carries, 40 yards; eight catches, 99 yards

Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals: six rushes, 37 yards

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: five catches, 47 yards (became second on all-time career receptions list)

Kyler Murray Still Seeking First Signature Performance

Murray was never expected to immediately turn around the Cardinals one season removed from an NFL-worst 3-13 campaign.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has shown glimpses of what made him the 2019 top overall pick, including becoming just the second player in league history to toss for 300-plus yards in his first two NFL games, through the first quarter of the season.

The highlight Sunday was his dual-threat ability, especially a nine-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter:

What was missing against the Seahawks, however, was Murray's signature deep ball. The longest pass play of the game was for 31 yards to running back Johnson on a short pass over the middle:

The bigger problem was the Cardinals offensive line's failure to give Murray time to throw, and that was evident when Murray had to scramble around in a collapsed pocket just to be able to dump it off to Johnson on a play action.

After the Seahawks got to Murray four times (Mychal Kendricks twice, Rasheem Green, Ziggy Ansah), he has now been sacked 20 times through four games, which includes eight times against the Carolina Panthers last week. As elusive as Murray has proved to be both at Oklahoma and already with the Cardinals, any quarterback getting sacked at that rate won't lead to offensive success.

On Friday, Cardinals left guard Justin Pugh spread the blame around while speaking with reporters: "Everyone wants to blame the offensive line and it's really 11 guys out there playing football. We all play a part. Does the offensive line have to do better? 100 percent. When you get down in games ... you have to call passes. It's the nature of it. If you want to win games, you have to throw the ball."

Murray threw the ball 18 times in the second half. But it was too late by then, which has come to define the Cardinals' season. It's fitting that the final play of the game was Murray getting sacked.

There were high hopes surrounding the pairing of Murray and first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid attack, but those hopes have so far been grounded.

Jadeveon Clowney Shows Why Seahawks Traded for Him

On the Cardinals' second play of their second drive of the game, Clowney intercepted Murray and ran it 27 yards for the touchdown. It was the first interception of the 2014 top overall pick's NFL career:

The Houston Texans traded Clowney to the Seahawks on Sept. 1 in exchange for a 2020 third-round pick, Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin. The argument could be made statistically that Houston doesn't miss Clowney:

What matters, though, is whether the Seahawks will benefit in the long run from him.

The 26-year-old had a decent debut in the regular-season opener with one sack on two total tackles as well as a pass defended. Clowney was more or less invisible in Weeks 2 and 3. While his pick-six Sunday was a game-changer, he did not contribute to Seattle's four sacks against an offensive line that has given up 20 this year.

Given Clowney had never intercepted a pass before in his career, it's unlikely the Seahawks can count on him contributing to the defense the way he did against the Cardinals consistently. They traded for him to be an elite pass-rusher and stop the run.

Sunday was encouraging. But only when Clowney is sprinkling these types of plays in with disruptive play along the line will the Seahawks have won the trade.

What's Next?

Seattle returns home on a short week for Week 5 Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams. The Cardinals will travel to take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon in search of their first win.