Coming off a bye week and two road games, the Seattle Seahawks are finally back at CenturyLink Field. Seattle’s opponent? The Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals’ high-octane offense will certainly test the Hawks after two straight games against depleted offenses led by the likes Colin Kaepernick, Reggie Bush and Matt Cassel.
Only the New England Patriots have scored more points than the Cardinals this season. Arizona has also gained 3,339 yards of total offense, good for sixth in the league. Much of this has to do with a lethal passing attack. Carson Palmer has a number of offensive weapons around him, most notably John Brown, David Johnson and the resurgent Larry Fitzgerald. The passing game is also as balanced as it is dangerous. Six different receivers have caught multiple touchdowns this season. Fitzgerald leads the way with seven.
Unlike other pass-heavy, offensive juggernauts, the Cardinals boast a legitimate running game. Similar to Fitzgerald, Chris Johnson is thriving in the desert. The former Tennessee Titan has ran for 676 yards this season. He isn’t alone either, David Johnson and Andre Ellington serve as change of pace backs, and effective ones at that. The duo have combined for seven total touchdowns.
Seattle won’t underestimate the Cardinals on offense, but the Hawks will certainly like the team’s chances. The Seahawks have allowed the second-fewest yards in the league and only six passing touchdowns. Seattle also has held opponents the fewest passing first downs in the league.
Pete Carroll’s team also stop the run. The Seahawks have allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards and only 3.8 yards per carry.
In addition to those gaudy numbers, Seattle has also had great success against Palmer. The former Bengals’ star has played the Hawks three times in his career. Over those contests he has three touchdowns and eight interceptions. In two games played in the Pacific Northwest, Palmer has a staggering six interceptions.
While Seattle will have to contend with a top offense, Russell Wilson and the offense will deal with a stout Arizona defense. The Cardinals have allowed the second-fewest rushing yards and the seventh-fewest passing yards in the league.
Hawks running back Marshawn Lynch (abdominal) is questionable. Carroll was quoted by the Seahawks’ official website as saying, “We think so, yeah,” in regard to ‘Beast Mode’ playing on Sunday.
If Lynch isn’t fully healthy, expect Thomas Rawls to see a slight uptick in carries. The undrafted rookie ran for 321 yards on 56 carries in three games against the Bears, Lions and Bengals. However, he’s only carried the ball 11 times for 50 yards since. If Lynch can’t handle a full work load, expect Rawls to receive his fair share of carries.
Injury Report:
Receiver Ricardo Lockette (neck) is the only player the Hawks have ruled out. Running back Marshawn Lynch (abdominal) is questionable. Tight end Luke Willson (toe), tackle Russell Okung (toe/ankle) and defensive tackle Michael Bennett (non-injury related) are all listed as probable.