Seahawks Instant Reaction: 710 ESPN Seattle on OT loss to Arizona

The Seahawks are no longer undefeated, having fallen 37-34 to the Arizona Cardinals in a wild overtime finish.

Seahawks lose 37-34 in OT | Quick hits | Moore’s take

With the Seahawks at 5-1, we turn to the voices of 710 ESPN Seattle for their instant reactions to the loss. Remember, this is just a preview of the Seahawks coverage you’ll hear all day Monday on the station beginning with Danny and Gallant at 7 a.m. and The Pete Carroll Show at 9:30.

Tom Wassell – Tom, Jake and Stacy

Well, I predicted a 22-22 tie. Wrong on one count, but kinda close on another. Can’t say I’m thrilled either way.

As the game went on, Arizona made Russell Wilson uncomfortable to the point where he took sacks and finally threw that un-Russell-like interception in overtime, which made the difference in the end.

OK, we’ve gone a few weeks without complaining about the pass rush. We need to bring that conversation back now. Benson Mayowa, in addition to allowing Arizona’s late TD drive to continue because of a leverage penalty, generated next to no pressure all night. He wasn’t alone, either.

David Moore’s holding penalty negating DK Metcalf’s would-be game-winning TD was another big blow.

I can’t write a game recap without giving Metcalf credit for that unbelievable rundown/tackle on the Budda Baker interception. That’s an inspiring play and it’s a shame that it didn’t lead to a win. Seattle was in control the entire way and appeared to outplay Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense, but one or two more mistakes by Seattle kept them from scoring critical points at the end.

It’ll be a head-scratching kind of week and all theories as to what might have saved the game will be welcome. This is an instant reaction, after all. I’m not convinced there’s ONE reason.

Bob Stelton – Bob, Dave and Moore

Well, we all knew the Seahawks were not going to go undefeated this season. You could argue they were lucky to be undefeated through the first five games. That still doesn’t make this one any less maddening.

There are a million plays we could point to as difference makers. As much as I want to scream about the play calling on the final drive before overtime or some of the worst decisions we’ve seen Russell Wilson make in a number of years, you still put up 34 points! Despite every interception, ill-timed penalty, lousy play call, terrible ref calls, etc., they scored 34 points. And the fact that that was not enough tells you all you need to know about what is not happening with this defense.

They gave up 572 yards of offense to Arizona. Much like the previous five games, they made some great plays, but unfortunately they were absolutely overshadowed by what they didn’t do. And that is stopping the opposition from doing whatever they want, whenever they wanted to (or needed to).

Again, the offense is certainly complicit in this one, without a doubt. But ultimately the problems we have been talking about all season didn’t go away over the bye week. The bottom line is, this offense just can’t afford to make the mistakes they made in this game. With a defense playing like this, there is no slack.

The Groz – 11:45 a.m. every day with John Clayton

How do you describe it? The job here is for an instant reaction but I think I’ve blown a circuit or two myself just trying to take it all in. The Seahawks somehow lost but I think I’d have had the same reaction if they won. Seahawk football can be indescribable.

Russell Wilson had a tough night with three picks, but he still threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 84 yards. He appeared to have won the game with a 48-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf only to have it nullified by a holding penalty. His interception on the next play sealed the deal for Arizona.

The Seahawks blew a double-digit lead as their lack of a pass rush was probably the deciding factor in the game. An amazing night for Tyler Lockett stood out and the play Metcalf made in running down Budda Baker was so jaw dropping it made me think of Bo Jackson.

In my tweet before the game I picked Arizona 35-31 using the logic you can’t win them all, and I guess that’s my takeaway. We didn’t learn anything new I don’t think. We knew the Seahawks struggle to rush the passer, especially without Jamal Adams. We know how explosive their offense is. I’m gonna stick with you can’t win them all and move on to the next amazingly entertaining game. What a season it’s been already and it’s not even half over!

Paul Gallant – Danny and Gallant

You can’t walk a tightrope across an entire NFL season. The Seahawks found that out the hard way on Sunday night.

The defense isn’t championship material. We already knew that. They can’t consistently get after the quarterback, struggle to make open-field tackles, and will often entirely lose track of wide receivers and tight ends. Sprinkle Kyler Murray’s cat-like agility on top of it all and you’re likely to give up 572 yards of offense.

We already knew that. Just like we know why Seattle’s been able to overcome that defense: Russell Wilson.

Wilson might still be the front-runner for MVP after the loss to the Cardinals, but he made some brutal mistakes Sunday night. He threw two end zone interceptions, one of which would have been returned 100 yards for a touchdown if not for the INCREDIBLE efforts of DK Metcalf. The second was nowhere near its intended target. And I really can’t fathom Wilson’s third pick in the waning moments of overtime, especially considering it blew a gift-wrapped opportunity after a missed field goal. Who was he throwing that to?

Wilson’s interceptions weren’t the only critical mistakes in this game. Benson Mayowa’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty turned an Arizona field goal drive into a touchdown drive. And in overtime, a Brandon Shell false start put Seattle in a third-and-11 that let Arizona send the house and get a sack.

The bright side? Tyler Lockett, who from start (a one-handed grab) to finish (a beautiful toe-tapping TD reception) was impossible to cover: 15 receptions, 200 yards, three TDs. In a game where Metcalf did little, Lockett kept Seattle’s offense humming the way it had for the first five games of the season.

O’Neil: Seahawks’ highwire act tumbles | Rost: ‘Now or never’ for defense?