Limiting big passing plays is a key for the Seahawks against Arizona

RENTON – The Seahawks will be trying to stay on top of Arizona.

That might sound a little strange. After all, the Cardinals lead Seattle by two games in the NFC West, but we’re talking strategy not standings. No team in the NFL throws more aggressively downfield than Arizona. Conversely, no one in the NFL has been better than Seattle at limiting an opponent’s big passing plays since the start of the 2013 season.

“They trying to blister it down the field and go get you,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “And they’re really, really good at it, so it is a good matchup for us.”

The big play that is the M.O. of Arizona’s offense is more like a cardinal sin for Seattle’s defense. How that contrast in priorities works itself out Sunday night will go a long way toward determining who wins this game as Arizona mounts the most direct threat to Seattle’s status as the two-time defending champion in the division.

Oh, the Cardinals led the division last year, too, but that was different. Carson Palmer was out for the year because of a knee injury by the time Arizona came to Seattle in late November. The Seahawks’ 19-3 victory turned out to be the kickstart for a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Not only is Palmer healthy this year, he’s under center in an offense that reflects the confidence of its architect, head coach Bruce Arians, and the Cardinals enter this game seeking the kind of validation that would come with beating the team that has been atop the division for the past two years.

Even at 4-4, the Seahawks are the hunted, and while that has been the case for quite a while now, it doesn’t mean the pursuit has gotten less intense.

“You know that everybody’s fighting to beat you,” quarterback Russell Wilson said. “Everybody’s kind of looking at you.”

Especially the Cardinals. Seattle beat Arizona twice in the final six games of the season by a combined score of 54-9. That was with Drew Stanton at quarterback, though. And then Ryan Lindley. The Seahawks were responsible for two of the four losses the Cardinals suffered over the final six games.

Arizona is a different cut of meat with Palmer under center. Look no further than receiver Larry Fitzgerald. He has caught 55 passes this season, only eight fewer than he had all of last season. He has seven receiving touchdowns, tied for second-most of anyone in the league.

It’s not like Fitzgerald has suddenly gotten better here in his 12th NFL season.

“It’s just Carson being with him,” said Carroll, who coached Palmer for two seasons at USC. “I think the younger quarterbacks a year ago weren’t able to take advantage of how good of a player Larry is.”

Palmer is averaging 9.2 yards per pass attempt, most in the NFL. The Cardinals have completed 37 passes for 20 or more yards, third-most of any team.

And that goes right into the teeth of Seattle’s defense. Since the start of the 2013 season, no defense has been better than Seattle at preventing the big pass play. The Seahawks have allowed the fewest completions of 20 yards or more in each of the previous two years, and while the Seahawks have given up 25 such passes through eight games this season, even that total deserves an asterisk. Eleven of them occurred in the first two games when Seattle was missing strong safety Kam Chancellor.

On Sunday night, we’ll see if Seattle’s defense can stand enough to keep the Cardinals from going over the top. That will be Arizona’s ambition both in terms of the pecking order in the division and the passing game.

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