🏈🏈🏈🏈
It was kind of a strange game last night. Hell, both teams even looked a little weird, with the Cardinals wearing their black jerseys and pants, with cardinal red highlights, and the Seahawks wore those lime green jerseys that are the very bright, unavoidable color of highlighters. They kind of reminded me of my college days.
That was not the only thing that made last night’s game strange, however. It felt like the Seahawks could blow the game open in the first half. The Seattle defense looked like the great Seahawks defense of old, and they really were containing the Cardinals offense. It felt like they might win this one running away.
Yet, it also felt like Seattle was missing some opportunities. They held a 16-7 lead at the half, but it felt like it could and should have been more.
Then, suddenly, the Cardinals kept coming back in the second half, and the Seahawks could not seemingly put them away. Arizona scored a touchdown early in the second half, to close to within two points. Seattle managed to score another touchdown in response late in the third quarter, but again, the Cardinals answered with a touchdown of their own early in the fourth, leaving the outcome of this game very much in doubt. Kyler Murray showed his quickness with his legs and his accuracy with his arms, and it was too easy to picture the formerly impressive Seahawks defense running out of gas and letting this one slip away.
But as I mentioned earlier, this was a strange game. When Arizona was backed up deep in their own territory, with their backs against their own end zone, a penalty against former Seahawk JR Sweezy was enforced in the end zone, which gave the Seahawks one of the most bizarre safeties that I have ever seen. It gave Seattle a four point lead.
This safety also gave the Seahawks the ball back, and they managed to move the ball down the field. They did not get a touchdown, but they did get a field goal with 2:19 left in the game, forcing the Cardinals to have to go down the field in hopes of getting a touchdown in order to tie the game, with time quickly running out in the fourth quarter.
Yet again, the Cardinals quickly marched down the field, and the Seahawks defense looked overwhelmed, like they had no answers. Murray was killing them again with both his arms and his dangerous speed, and it began to feel like a touchdown was, in fact, inevitable. But in the end, the drive stalled, almost without warning, preserving the key victory for the Seahawks, who avenged an earlier season loss, and rise to first place in the division once again, as they improve to 7-3. The Cardinals, meanwhile, fall to 6-4 on the year.
Seattle dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for over 35 minutes. Otherwise, the two teams were largely even in most other statistical categories. Neither team committed a turnover.
For the Seahawks, Russell Wilson once again proved impressive, completing 23 of 28 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Lockett was his fvorite target, catching nine balls for 67 yards and one touchdown. Running back Carlos Hyde enjoyed a big game on the ground, gaining 79 yards and one key touchdown on 14 carries, helping to lift Seattle above the Cardinals in this one.
In a losing cause for the Cardinals, Kyler Murray still enjoyed an impressive game. He completed 29 of 42 passes for 269 yards and two touchdown. Veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald proved to be his favorite target, with eight catches for 62 yards. Kenyan Drake led the runners on Arizona with 39 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries.
The Cardinals will next visit the New England Patriots up at Foxboro. That could prove to be a very tough game, especially for New England during this time of the year. As for the Seahawks, they will also be heading to the East Coast for their next game, when they play the Eagles at Philadelphia on the 30th.
My pick: Accurate
No comments:
Post a Comment