Seahawks’ Defense Dominates Cardinals in Much-Needed 17-3 Win

It was a game they needed, and they got it. The Seahawks’ 17-3 win over the Cardinals was the get-right game they needed after losing three of their last four games. The Seahawks’ last victory was a 20-3 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. A  humbling   34-17 loss to the Bears followed the feel-good win. No one felt good after the lackluster, inexplicable loss to the Bears. The loss sent coaches and players into soul-searching and accountability mode, not from a negative lens but from an accountability-driven perspective. The introspective process paid dividends for a short-handed Seahawks team that was missing six starters.

“Proud of our team. A lot of noise this week with injuries and other things going on, so just the poise that we showed, the 12 is One (mentality). We said this game was like the power of our 70 with the depth we were going to lean on with the bottom of our roster, and guys did a great job of stepping in, not flinching,’ said head coach Mike Macdonald.

“ Drew Lock; A.B. coming back; Dante Fowler. I’m eager to see what Rylie did. Rylie had more of an opportunity. That was cool. Mike Morris. Proud of our team. Got a couple of red zone stops, which is a first for us, and then a couple of red zone scores. So that was great. Then to be able to close the game out in a tough situation.”

PATIENT WITH PURPOSE

After three and out, Seahawks punter Michael Dickerson booted a 57-yard punt that landed on the Cardinals’ one.  In the loss to the Bears, the Seahawks punt team bumbled Dickson’s kick into the end zone, which brought the ball to the 20-yard line.  The Cardinals, for their part, were unfazed, starting from their own 1-yard line.  Gardner Minshew engineered a 10-play, 89-yard drive capped by Chad Ryland’s 28-yard field goal.  The field goal was the last points the Cardinals would score against a focused, determined, resolute Seahawks defense.

OFFENSE GETS UNTRACKED
With the defense stifling the Cardinals’ attack, the Seahawks offense found its rhythm on its third offensive possession of the game.  Drew Lock showed no signs of an ailing elbow as he engineered an 11-play, 58-yard drive that ended with an AJ  Barner one-yard run from a direct snap. On the drive, the Seahawks converted both third-down opportunities. Running backs Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price, each converted one. Charbonnet ran for eight yards on third-and-one, and Price caught a 15-yard screen pass on third-and-one.

SEAHAWKS DOUBLE THEIR LEAD

The defense kept hunting Minshew and gang-tackling Tyler Algeir every time he touched the ball. Algeier finished the game with  17 carries and 46 rushing yards, averaging 2.2 yards per  carry.The Cardinals offense managed just  110 yards of total offense in the first half. The Seahawks offense struggled in the first half but doubled its lead before the break. With 1:45 left in the half, Lock engineered a 7-play, 81-yard drive that ended with another Barner touchdown. While it was similar to the first touchdown in yardage, the second Barner was a one-yard reception.

FIELD GOAL TO THE GOOD

The Seahawks defense continued its dominance over the Cardinals offense, which received the second-half kickoff.   DeMarcus Lawrence sacked Minshew for a 6-yard loss and forced another Cardinals punt.  The Seahawks’ promising drive on its next possession stalled at the Cardinals’ 34-yard line, forcing the Seahawks to settle for a Jason Myers 45-yard field goal.  The kick extended the Seahawks’ lead to 17-3.

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE MAKES A STAND

After trading punts, the Cardinals offense began its best drive and last drive of the game.  Minshew’s quick passes and Algeier’s runs up the middle of the Seahawks defense moved the ball from the Cardinals’ 23-yard line to the Seahawks’ two-yard line. On fourth and two, Minshew’s intended pass to Trey McBride was incomplete. The play gave the ball to the Seahawks offense. The ball was moved to the one-yard line after an unsportsmanlike penalty on Devon Witherspoon.

SEAHAWKS OFFENSE CLOSES OUT THE GAME

With the ball at the one-yard line and 4:35 left in the game, the Seahawks showed some grit and determination. After a Lock run on first down, Charbonnet showed he had fully recovered from his nine-month injury. Charbonnet had the next four carries, bringing the ball to the Seahawks’ 38-yard line with 3:28 left in the game.  Facing a third-and-one, offensive Coordinator Brian Fleury called for Barner’s number one last time. A direct snap to Barner gave the Seahawks the one yard they needed for a new set of downs and ran out the clock for the win.