A Sunday Night battle on primetime is the perfect moment to highlight a heated divisional rivalry. Had it not been for the strong showings from the Cardinals the past two weeks this game may have not earned that distinction. Yet after a 1 – 3 start to the year the team finds itself just a game and a half out of first place as they prepare to go up against the franchise that has taken the NFC crown twice in the last three years.
Limiting Wilson’s Running
You won’t see Russell Wilson leading the league in quarterback rushing stats any time soon. Not because he lacks the ability or athletic prowess to do so. Wilson is considered one of the fastest quarterbacks in the NFL today. If they kept track of the amount of yards he runs for behind the line of scrimmage however, Wilson would likely hold 4 straight rushing titles since he took the job back in 2012. Wilson’s legs give him seemingly hours of time to get the ball down the field and he loves to use that time to find his receivers down the field once the play breaks down. While he hasn’t had gaudy numbers against the Cardinals in recent memory, he did average around 218 yards per game against the Cards and that includes a game that ended in a laugher in University of Phoenix Stadium where the score was 36 – 6, the one game the Seahawks took last year in the series as the teams split their two regular season matchups. If the Cardinals can collapse the pocket rather than get initial pressure off the edge, they can force Wilson to toss passes into the middle of the field. Prime interception material.
No Time To Come Out Flat
The last time these two teams played the Cardinals didn’t seem to even show up to the locker room, let alone the field. They had already wrapped up the division, and earned their first round bye going into the playoffs. The Seahawks came out and stomped the home team with no regard for the players standing across from them. Christine Michael ran for over 100 yards against a solid run defense that game and the coverages seemed to have no idea where they were supposed to be. Wilson threw for three touchdowns in that game, including a flare out to the 280 pound fullback Will Tukuafu that symbolized just how little interest the team had going into that game. While the Cardinals couldn’t be further from the same comfortable position they were last January, that kind of let down can carry over into a new season. After two good weeks of football, it is up to Bruce Arians and the coaching staff to keep the team from thinking back to that contest as much as possible because the Seahawks are a team that loves to prey on mental errors and weaknesses. Richard Sherman and The Legion of Boom especially.
No Fly Zone For The Red Birds
Every week the idea of Carson Palmer finally getting the deep ball back in his repertoire seems to have the perfect setup to do so. Last week against the league’s worst pass defense however made many Cardinal fans think that maybe Palmer just doesn’t have those throws left in him anymore. The longest pass play of the game for the Cardinals went to the tight end Jermaine Gresham for just 14 yards. Michael Floyd had only two catches for 22 yards and his longest play went for 13. The speedster of the Cardinals wide outs in John Brown caught five passes for 54 yards, but never got further than 13 on a single play of the game. Against the number one total defense and fifth best passing defense in the league, some of those players will be lucky to reach those plateaus. This may be a new scheme for Arians to help relieve the stress from Palmer’s body, who has suffered from multiple injuries since his arrival in a Cardinals uniform, but at some point the gloves have to come off and the passing game has to go for the jugular when the game is just waiting for a turning point. While it would go against common instincts, it might be worth Palmer’s time to check where Kelcie McCray lines up on the field. Kam Chancellor is considered a likely scratch due to a groin injury, making McCray his likely replacement. It isn’t wise to test Earl Thomas III in coverage, but McCray might bite on a few quick moves on the deep post if Arizona can get the matchup they want.
Prediction: Seahawks 28 – Cardinals 23
The game will be played on Sunday Night Football on NBC October 23rd. Kickoff will start at 5:30 PM at University of Phoenix Stadium.