This last week marked the end of my Fantasy Football season as I lost in the semi-finals and to my pastor no less! But while my Fantasy Football championship dreams are over, the Seattle Seahawks are still in it to win it!
The 12-2 Seahawks will meet the 9-5 Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, a big game for both teams. This week 16 match up will be different from the one back in week 7 when the Seahawks beat the Cardinals in one of their more complete games of the season, 34-22. Just nine short weeks ago, the Cardinals were at the bottom of the division, tied with the Rams, but somehow they’ve turned things around and shaking up the NFC West.
Let’s see how these teams stack up. Here is some context for Sunday’s game:
Arizona’s Recent Surge
Since Arizona’s loss against Seattle, they have won six of their last seven games, with a loss on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a close game, with the Cardinals attempting a late comeback in the fourth, but they ran out of time to close the difference a field goal makes, with the final score, 21-24.
QB Carson Palmer has been solid lately, most notably in the huge upset over the Indianapolis Colts, 40-11. Palmer out played QB Andrew Luck, throwing for 26 of 36 passes (72 %) for 314 yards with two TDs, no interceptions and a Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 93.1%. He continues to be a factor in their recent success and this surge for the 11 year veteran has silenced naysayers who discounted the “Palmer Experiment” back in week 7.
Value of a Win for Arizona
Arizona is fighting for a wild card spot. The Cardinals’ playoff hopes are contingent on other teams. Arizona is in a must-win situation to stay alive. But should they fall to Seattle, bringing their record to 9-6, their post-season dreams are not entirely over. The best case scenario for the Cardinals is then a must-win over the 49ers and for the Panthers to lose out their last two games. The resulting 10-6 record tie between the Cardinals and Panthers would have the Cardinals edge out the Panthers because of their head-to-head win, 22-6 in week 5.
Seattle’s Recent Missteps
The Seahawks have had a few missteps on paper, with the player suspension drama, particularly CB Brandon Browner who on Thursday was suspended indefinitely by the NFL due to violating the substance-abuse policy. The absence of Browner and CB Walter Thurmond, also out for the same offense as Browner, had many questioning the integrity of the “Legion of Boom” and the Seahawks organization as a whole, on and off the field. Plus the loss against the 49ers, brought on by the continued problem of penalties, the one weakness in the Seahawks’ otherwise flawless game, had critics salivating over a potential way to bring down the frontrunners.
But instead of bowing to the pressure, the Seahawks continued their domination. QB Russell Wilson has been stellar, most notably in the win against the New Orleans Saints. And most recently, Wilson and the Seahawks’ defense, led by CB Richard Sherman and new CB Byron Maxwell, crushed the New York Giants, 23-0. Not only did the Seahawks reduce two-time MVP Eli Manning to a shutout as the only team to put up a goose egg this season, Manning also had a career-high five interceptions, thus tying him with Charlie Conerly for the Giants’ franchise record for most interception at 167.
Value of a Win for Seattle
For Seattle, a win against Arizona would mean:
– 15th straight home win;
– 24th win for Russell Wilson in his two seasons as a starting QB (adding distance between him and Ben Rottenburger Roethlisburger holding steady at second place with 22 wins);
– Clinching the NFC West title with a record of 13-2, the best in the NFL; and
– Most importantly, securing the Seahawks’ place as the #1 playoff seed – which would mean home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Advantage
Two of the Cardinals’ biggest offensive weapons, Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald, are injured and questionable to play. The Seahawks’ defense continues to get stronger and unstoppable with each game. The Seahawks haven’t lost at home since 2011 – though ironically, it was at the end of the season, during week 17 against none other than the Cardinals.
Verdict: Seahawks all the way.
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