Seahawks try for 7th straight win in series vs. Cards in crucial NFC West matchup

Seattle (7-5) at Arizona (6-6)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Cardinals by 2 1/2.

Series record: Seahawks lead 28-22-1.

Against the spread: Seahawks 5-6-1, Cardinals 8-4.

Last meeting: Seahawks beat Cardinals 16-6 on Nov. 24, 2024, in Seattle.

Last week: Seahawks beat Chargers, 26-21; Cardinals lost to Vikings, 23-22.

Seahawks offense: overall (16), rush (28), pass (2), scoring (15).

Seahawks defense: overall (18), rush (21), pass (12), scoring (12).

Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (6), pass (22), scoring (17).

Cardinals defense: overall (17), rush (13), pass (18), scoring (11).

Turnover differential: Seahawks minus-6, Cardinals minus-1.

Seahawks player to watch

DT Leonard Williams has been one of the most dominant players in the league over the past two weeks. Williams had 2 1/2 sacks, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hits two weeks ago against the Cardinals. Williams sacked Aaron Rodgers twice and scored his first career touchdown on a 92-yard pick-6.

Cardinals player to watch

QB Kyler Murray has had some good moments over the past two games and completed 31 of 45 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. But he also threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter which proved costly.

Key matchup

QB Geno Smith vs. Arizona’s defense. Smith has had another solid season and now he’ll face an Arizona defense that’s been vastly improved over the past 1 1/2 months. The Cardinals have been much more productive in the pass rush with 23 sacks over the past six games. That ranks third in the NFL over that span.

Key injuries

Coach Mike Macdonald said he is optimistic that P Michael Dickson (back spasms) will be able to play this weekend, but bringing in another punter this week is “on the table.”.. LB Uchenna Nwosu has a chance to play this week. Nwosu missed the first four games of the season with a knee injury, then injured his thigh in his first game back in Week 5, and has been on injured reserve since. … The Cardinals are relatively healthy. DLs Darius Robinson (calf) and Dante Stills (back) have been limited in practice this week.

Series notes

The Seahawks have won six straight games in the series going back to 2022. The Cardinals last won 23-13 on Nov. 21, 2021. The Cardinals haven’t won at home against the Seahawks since 2020.

Stats and stuff

The Seahawks’ next win will be the 400th in franchise history. … Since Week 9, Seattle’s defense ranks fifth in the NFL with 17.5 points allowed per game, 299 yards allowed per game, and 84.3 rushing yards allowed per game, while ranking sixth in the league with 18.8 first downs allowed. … The Seahawks have two pick-6s in the past two games, the first time the team has done so since 2012. … The Seahawks have held three straight opponents to under 300 yards, and fewer than 100 rushing yards. … Seattle has outscored its opponents by 37 points in the final two minutes of halves this season, the best in the NFL. .. WR DK Metcalf needs one receiving TD to pass Steve Largent for the most in a player’s first six seasons in franchise history with 47. … Smith needs one 300-yard game to tie Russell Wilson for the most 300-yard games in a single season in franchise history with five. … WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Needs 171 yards for his first 1,000-yard season, and to become the 10th player in franchise history to reach that mark. … Arizona has won three straight games at home. The Cardinals outscored those opponents 77-30 while scoring nine touchdowns and allowing none. … TE Trey McBride has caught 12 passes in two straight games, which is the first time a tight end has had at least 12 receptions in two straight games in NFL history. … Arizona’s six losses have come to teams with a combined 55-18 record this season entering Week 14. … S Budda Baker has 114 tackles this season, which ranks sixth in the league. … McBride’s caught 73 passes this season. He needs just nine more catches over the next five games to break his franchise record for a tight end. … WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has caught seven TD passes this season, which leads all NFL rookies. … The Cardinals have been flagged for 61 penalties this season, which is the fewest in the NFL. But the team was flagged 10 times in last week’s loss to the Vikings.

Fantasy tip

Arizona’s defense is a strong play at home. The Cardinals are giving up just 17 points per game at State Farm Stadium, which is second in the league behind Pittsburgh.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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