The Seattle Seahawks are set to square off against the Arizona Cardinals Week 16 at Century Link Field. While Seattle has already clinched a spot in the playoffs, the Seahawks are still fighting to win the division and secure the NFC West.
Here’s a look at the keys to victory for both teams on Sunday.
Cardinals’ keys to victory: The Cardinals’ sole job in this outing is to play the spoiler for the Seahawks. Coming off a huge win against Cleveland, Arizona is hungry for yet another victory and the Cardinals are not to be overlooked.
However, Arizona has struggled this season despite the addition of QB Kyler Murray, who the Cardinals selected with the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft. Combine the rookie signal-caller with a new head coach in Kliff Kingsbury and it’s no wonder 2019 is a rebuilding year for Arizona.
In Seattle, the Cardinals could very well turn to running back Kenyan Drake, who the team acquired midseason in a trade with Miami. Finding a way to pound the ground could give Seattle a taste of its own medicine.
The Cardinals have found ways to beat Seattle late in the season in recent years and if they can do that this Sunday, they’ll be giving San Francisco a huge assist in the NFC West.
Seahawks’ keys to victory
The Seahawks have dropped two home games at CenturyLink Field and cannot afford another loss, especially to a divisional opponent. With the NFC West crown still up for the grabbing, Seattle needs to come out firing on all cylinders on Sunday.
While Murray has been a turnover machine for Arizona, this is not the matchup for Seattle’s pass rush to just roll over, as the Cardinals offense can still strike unpredictably. Defensive ends Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney are both still up in the air for Week 16 and both would be missed if inactive on gameday once again.
With the playoffs in view, the Seahawks need to play clean football to set the pace. Quarterback Russell Wilson can once again turn to wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who has finally returned to full form.
Seattle has kept its contests close this season but this is not a matchup that should come down to the fourth quarter.
Matchup to watch: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray vs. Seahawks defensive ends.
Starters Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah finally found their rhythm in Seattle but both have been battling injuries recently and will be game-day decisions. If any replacements called up for Sunday look past Murray and Co., it could be deadly for Seattle. The Seahawks backups, if needed, must rise to the occasion and target the rookie QB early and often.
Who wins? This game is too important to the Seahawks to play down to the Cardinals. Seattle needs to stamp a commanding win and will do just that.
Seahawks over the Cardinals 31-10.
