It is do or die time for the Seattle Seahawks. With the gift the Atlanta Falcons gave the Seahawks by upsetting the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle is now in the driver’s seat for not only the division crown but home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
However, in their quest to close out the season on a high note, the Seahawks must win out against two division rivals at home over the final two weeks. The first of the two is a rematch versus the perpetually pesky Cardinals.
In recent years, the Cardinals have been a constant thorn in the side of the Seahawks, especially in Seattle. From 2013-2017, the Cardinals won four out of five road games at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks finally snapped a three-game home losing streak to Arizona last season, however, it took a walk-off field goal to survive 27-24.
Now the Seahawks will look to win two-in-a-row at home against the Cardinals for the first time since 2011-12.
Arizona started the year 0-3-1, including a 27-10 defeat to the Seahawks. Then the Cardinals railed off three-straight wins, which was followed by six-straight losses.
The Cards eventually snapped their losing skid with a 38-24 win over the remarkably dysfunctional Browns in Week 15, but are still in the lower tier of NFL teams this year.
However, the Seahawks shouldn’t expect the Cardinals to simply rollover.
Prediction: Seahawks over Cardinals 28-27
There are a few factors at play here. First is Arizona’s recent history of being competitive in Seattle. Regardless of how good either team is, the Cardinals seem to know the secret to playing the Seahawks tough on the road.
Second, the Seahawks cannot win convincingly. Seattle is a 9.5 favorite, which is stunning, as the oddsmakers have clearly never seen a Seahawk game before. Of their 11 wins this year, 10 have been by a single score, including games against Atlanta, Minnesota, and Carolina, where the Seahawks led by 24, 17, and 20, respectively. In all three, the opponents gave Seattle a run towards the end.
Third, and most importantly, the Seahawks’ defense will be severely depleted once more. Jadeveon Clowney, Shaquill Griffin, Quandre Diggs, Mychal Kendricks, and Bobby Wagner’s playing status is either doubtful or up in the air entirely. Not to mention defensive tackle Al Woods, who was suspended four games for PED usage.
The Cardinals may not be good but they are competitive. This has trap game written all over it for the Seahawks, and they had best not be overlooking an Arizona team who would love nothing more than to spoil Seattle’s bid for a first-round bye.
