The Seattle Seahawks have relied on quarterback Russell Wilson to win a number of games this season, and Sunday was no different. The Seattle signal caller completed 19 of 28 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Wilson also chipped in with 13 rushing yards to lead the Hawks to a convincing victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Seattle’s quarterback also made some history in the win. Wilson became the first Seahawks quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. If that wasn’t enough, the former third-round draft pick also set a Seattle franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season with 34.

Wilson spread the ball around efficiently, completing passes to nine different receivers. Doug Baldwin and Cooper Helfet led the way in the terms of catches and receiving yards. Baldwin hauled in five catches for 46 yards while Helfet made four grabs for 42 yards.  

In addition to Wilson and the receivers, the running game shined against Arizona. Running back Christine Michael turned in a career performance, rushing the ball 17 times for 102 yards. Fellow running back Bryce Brown added a rushing touchdown.

In addition to Wilson and Michael, Tyler Lockett made a significant impact. The rookie shined in the return game, taking back four punts for 139 yards. His efforts consistently gave the Hawks good field position to start drives. Lockett’s longest return went for 66 yards.

While the offense and special teams excelled, the defense was superb in limiting Carson Palmer and the Cardinals’ high-octane offense.

Palmer only completed 12 of 25 passes for a mere 129 yards. The quarterback added a touchdown and an interception before being taken off at halftime. Arizona’s coaching staff opted to rest the signal caller and other starters with the game and the top seed in the NFC playoffs out of reach. Drew Stanton relieved Palmer and struggled. The backup was eight of 18 for only 84 yards while throwing two interceptions.

Neither Arizona quarterback received much help from the run game. David Johnson was stifled by the Hawks’ defense. The running back ran for 25 yards on 11 carries before being taken out of the game.

K.J. Wright led the way with six tackles for the Seattle defense. Richard Sherman added two tackles and a pair of pass deflections. Additionally, the defensive trio of Earl Thomas, Jeremy Lane and DeShawn Shead all added interceptions. The three combined for 56 return yards on the picks, with Shead accounting for 40 of the 56 yards. Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett combined for the team’s two sacks.

Next Up:

The Seahawks will travel on the road for the first round of the playoffs. Seattle’s opponent has yet to be determined. Should the Minnesota Vikings win against the Green Bay Packers, the Hawks will be the sixth seed and play the Vikings. If Green Bay wins, Seattle will travel to the nation’s capital as the fifth seed to play the Washington Redskins.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals will enter the playoffs as the NFC’s second seed and receive a first round bye.