Instant Reaction: 710 ESPN Seattle on Seahawks’ season-ending 26-24 loss to Arizona Cardinals

As we do after each Seahawks game, we have polled the hosts of 710 ESPN Seattle for their initial impressions of the Hawks’ season-ending 26-24 loss to Arizona on Sunday. Here’s what they have to say.

Carroll: Loss a ‘microcosm’ | O’Neil on Walsh | Costly penalties | Recap

Bob Stelton of Bob, Groz and Tom

In a must-win game, the Seahawks went into halftime trailing 20-7. They had 24 total yards and one first down for the half. You couldn’t point to any one thing that went well outside of the 99-yard kickoff return from Tyler Lockett. The offense, defense and punt game were atrocious! Then came the second half and the Seahawks started to play like a team that actually had something on the line. The offense scored 17 points while the defense allowed just two field goals. The problem was, that was enough for Arizona to win. Blair Walsh missed the go-ahead field goal with under a minute to go, but it didn’t really matter. Cam Newton had one of the worst games of his career as the Panthers were beaten by the Falcons, a result that eliminated the Seahawks from the playoffs, regardless of the outcome in this game. Now we get set for a long offseason filled with questions about the futures of marquee players on this team – and perhaps members of this coaching staff, as well. This was an incredibly uneven, frustrating season that in my mind will lead to a very different looking Seahawks team in 2018.

Mike Salk of Brock and Salk

A slow start, a couple of dumb and costly penalties, a failure to run, and another missed kick. Those are the types of things that have cost the Seahawks all year long, so it was fitting that they would cost them in their final game of the season. Throw in a problematic offensive line and a furious comeback that fell just short, and you have a recipe for a division loss and a 9-7 season. There was nothing new in this game. The things we have seen all year long were true once again and it cost the Seahawks a game just as it had cost them throughout the year. But the game analysis will pale in comparison to the state of the franchise. They banked on this season being successful – even trading away major parts of their future to make it so. Major changes may be coming to the core of a unit that has given Seattle fans their golden age. They deserve thanks for everything they have brought this city. But this season was an enormous disappointment, compounded by the difficult spot they find themselves in with a tight salary cap, aging players and too few draft picks.

Dave Grosby of Bob, Groz and Tom

The Seahawks season ended Sunday, and that was probably merciful. It’s hard to imagine good things happening in the playoffs with this team at this point in time. Because of a variety of factors the Seahawks went from a team that was cruising along at 6-3 with their destiny in their own hands to a team that finished 3-4 and out of the playoffs. Another disturbing trend is the 4-4 record at home, including a 1-4 finish. Not a championship-caliber football team. On offense they got exposed as completely one-dimensional team. Hard to imagine bigger mistakes then the ones made in evaluating the running game. Defensively the last couple of weeks were disturbing but key injuries had a lot to do with it. This team was not good enough to be one that committed so many penalties. Sure, they led the league in penalties the year they won the Super Bowl, but this team is not that team. San Francisco’s hot finish and the rise of the Rams, Eagles and Vikings have given the Seahawks kind of a yesterdays-news sort of aura. The Seahawks have to decide how close they think they are. It’s hard to believe they won’t change their approach to the running game and offensive line. That having been said, you always feel within shouting distance when you have a franchise QB, and Russell Wilson is just beginning his prime. So although all feels lost on days like today, it really isn’t.