Cardinals-Seahawks rewind: Arizona loses 5th straight home game in regular season finale
The Cardinals (11–6) lost their final regular season game, 38–30, at home to the Seattle Seahawks (7–10). Arizona has split its two NFC West Division games with Seattle this season.
The Cardinals lost their fifth consecutive home game since October 28, their first loss of the season.
The final Cardinals' scoring game was when kicker Matt Prater scored his third field goal in the game at 1:17 for 36 yards.
The Cardinals will advance to the NFC playoffs seeded fifth.
Seahawks RB Penny breaks loose for 62-yard TD run
Rashad Penney may have stoked the Cardinals' hopes of a comeback with his 62-yard dagger.
The Seahawks offensive line split the A-gap open for him in the Red Sea defense, and could not be stopped running midway through the end zone.
RASHAAD PENNY CANNOT BE STOPPED. 62-YARD TD. #Seahawks
— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2022
📺: #SEAvsAZ on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/VorOzU8W98
That scoring game extended the Seahawks' lead to 38–27.
Penny got a game-high of 173 yards on 21 carries.
Prater's FG cuts Seahawks lead
Matt Prater kicked in his second good field goal from 30 yards in 6:14.
This increased Seattle's lead to 31-27.
Injuries pile up for Cardinals, Seahawks
The Cardinals will have to continue their running game with their top rushes James Conner and backup Jonathan Ward.
Scary scene with Quandre Diggs down injured for Seahawks at Arizona. All teammates come off the sideline to be around him. @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/3DCxDbN72u
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) January 10, 2022
Conner left the game with a rib injury after Esper ran 19 yards in 11:56 from Arizona's own 13 in the fourth quarter.
Shortly thereafter, Ward left due to a knee injury.
Then Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs had to be taken off the field at 9:22 during the same Cardinals possession.
Seahawks get up to speed
The Seahawks responded again with their third touchdown to the Cardinals, dropping the score to 24-24, 1:57 in the third quarter.
Russell Wilson threw deep left to Freddy Swain for 25 yards, and the extra point was good.
The Cardinals offensive and special teams saw disorientation in their subsequent possession.
Kyler Murray was sacked twice for losses of 11 and 12, with Poona Ford and defensive end Kerry Haider first and 10 in Arizona's own 25 and then third and 13 on 22, respectively.
Things got worse when punter Andy Lee threw a snap on fourth of 10 and 25, retrieved the ball at 2, ran it on 7, and struck it again after being struck by Seattle gunner/running back Travis Homer. , and the ball was recovered by Cody Thompson of Seattle.
Disaster strikes for the Cardinals, as punter Andy Lee gifts the Seahawks an instant redzone possession #RedSea #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/D45c8cS0om
— Pro Football Culture (@proftblculture) January 9, 2022
The Cardinals' chaos and a five-yard run from Seattle's Rashad Penney closed out the third quarter for the first time. This enabled Seattle's field position for Russell Wilson to third out of 4 and score his first fast TD on goal, two plays later at 13:15.
The extra point was good. Seattle Lead, 31-24.
Cardinals emerge with firepower
The Cardinals' offense came with some firepower in the first drive of the second half, even as Seattle, with 17-17 on the score.
Kyler Murray completed five passes in a chunk play of less than eight yards: the first to sweep Antoine Wesley wide for nine; Murray's second to trail James Conner for eight; Longest pass of the day to Christian Kirk, WR to Murray for 35 yards; Fourth for Zach Ertz for 14; And the final for 20 runs for James Conner, who scored as he caught it to the left and did a sideway flip in the end zone.
Then the Cardinals defense played its part to take the lead back for the third time. In third and -7 at 10:12 from Seattle's 28, safety Jalen Thompson blocked Russell Wilson's targeted short right pass to RB Travis Homer on 34.
Thompson returned down from the left flat where officials ruled that he went out of bounds on 1.
Conner dropped his second TD of the day two plays later at 9:25 in the third. Prior to Sunday, Conner had not scored a TD as L.A. at the Cardinals' home on December 13. He had not scored a TD since losing to Rams.
The Cardinals are up, 24-17.
Cardinals offense not clicking in first half
The Cardinals' domestic crisis is starting once again.
His offense ended his first-half thrashing for Boo from the crowd as he walked off the ground with 30 seconds remaining.
This happened after Kyler Murray was dismissed twice in his final drive of the half. Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford faced him before Arizona's own 25 and an eight-yard loss at -10. The second sack was first and -10 with 43 seconds remaining for a 12-yard loss by defensive end Carlos Dunlop II. Cardinals 38.
The Cardinals haven't been the same since sacking Russell Wilson with Chandler Jones' strip, and Zack Allen picks up the loose ball to score the only TD ever.
The Seahawks have dominated the Cardinals in most raw statistical categories. This includes 162 passing yards in Arizona's 51, 67 rushing yards in Arizona's 38, resulting in 2.9 for 6.7 yards per game for the Cardinals.
The Seahawks have 11 down first, Arizona has 7. Seattle is taking the Sticks down third on 6-of-8 tyres, and the Cardinals are 4-of-9.
Russell Wilson was 10-of-18 for 171 yards. And Kyler Murray was 13-17 for 51.
The score is 17-10. The Cardinals get to open the ball in the second half.
Seahawks' FG Extends Lead
The Seahawks extended their lead on Jason Myers' 38-yard field goal, his first, saved in the first half at 1:21.
That FG put Seattle 17-10 on the Cardinals.
Seahawks' second TD takes the lead
This Cardinals-Seahawks matchup is shaping up to be a dogfight rivalry game as expected.
The Seahawks scored their second touchdown in the middle of the second quarter with their first four drives. The scoring game took place at 7:41 when Russell Wilson connected with Tyler Lockett for his second TD with a 5-yard pass on first and goal.
That play ended Seattle's 10-game, 75-yard drive, and the Seahawks took the lead for the first time. The extra point was good, and the Cardinals trailed them 14-10.
Cardinals take lead on Prater's FG
Matt Prater again took a 10-7 lead over the Arizona Seahawks after scoring a 41-yard field goal at 11:44 in the second period.
It was his first game, completing a total of 19 plays and 66 yards for the Cardinals' second possession.
Cardinals Green reaches career milestone
AJ Green caught his 700th career pass when he completed a 5-yard pass at 3:24 in the opening period. Entering the game, Greene needed just one to reach that plateau.
He is joined by his teammate DeAndre Hopkins, joining wideouts Antonio Brown and Julio Jones as the only active player with over 700 receptions and 10,000 receiving yards.
A.J. Green has reached 700 receptions for his career.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 9, 2022
He joins DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, and Julio Jones as the only active players with 700+ receptions and 10,000+ receiving yards. pic.twitter.com/RxXYIHcXd6
Green caught another pass from Kyler Murray in the quarter on Arizona's own 33 to third and -8 on a deep pass that would have reached his milestone. But Greene was ruled out for an offensive pass interference penalty that waved that 26-yard play-off.
The Cardinals and the Seahawks are tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Cardinals, Seahawks trade TD early
It took no more than two plays for the Cardinals defense to score in the opening period.
Arizona scoop & score on the first play of the game 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2022
📺: #SEAvsAZ on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/6XoqE8xWvL
The Chandler Jones strip sacked Russell Wilson in the second of the Seahawks' own 25 and -10 on the 14:48 mark for a loss of nine. Cardinals defensive end Zack Allen picked up the loose ball and drove it for a touchdown.
This was Allen's third fumble recover and first TD this season, and Jones has 10.5 sacks. The extra point was good.
Russ hits Tyler Lockett for a 43-yard TD! What a start in Arizona.
— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2022
📺: #SEAvsAZ on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/ptz1XfE3pD
Seattle came back fast when Russell Wilson threw a 43-yard laser to Tyler Lockett, who caught it in 12 and drove it into the right corner of the end zone in third and -2 at 12:26
The extra point was good, the score leveled, 7–7.
Conner playing, Cardinals-Seahawks inactive
James Conner is returning for the Cardinals after missing his last two games with a heel injury.
The Cardinals' Pro Bowl-bound top rusher and touchdown scorer hurt his heel during a road loss to the Detroit Lions on December 19. Connor's entry into Sunday's game against the Seahawks for the third week in a row was a game-time decision.
He was seen practicing on the field in a pregame warm-up in his game pants, unlike last week when he was in track pants testing his leg before his game at the Dallas Cowboys.
Connors will manage most of Arizona's running game load with some help from backup RBs Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin, while their other opening chase Edmonds is out (ribs/toes).
Rookie wideout Rondell Moore is out for the third straight game with an ankle injury. In addition to Moore, the other Cardinals passive players against Seattle are tight end Demetrius Harris, quarterback Trace McSorley, rookie cornerback Marco Wilson, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and offensive lineman Josh Miles.
Seahawks are inactive as linebacker Bobby Wagner, CB John Reid, guard Gabe Jackson, TE Will Disley and QB Jacob Eason.
