Rost on Seahawks: What the 30-18 win over Arizona says for Seattle
Dec 8, 2024, 5:00 PM | Updated: 7:53 pm
Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith celebrates with fans after a win in Arizona on Dec. 8, 2024. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
(Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks didn’t punch their ticket to the playoffs with their 30-18 win Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but they maintained sole possession of first place in the NFC West — and did it with one of their best performances of the season.
Seahawks win 30-18 | Instant Reaction | Observations | Stats
Say what you will about Seattle’s offensive line, their struggles in short-yardage situations, or that stretch where they lost five of six back in October (hard to believe this is the same defense). There’s volatility in being a team with unanswered questions on the roster, but also potential. And the Seahawks showed just how much of that they still have with their season sweep of the Cardinals, with two impressive wins over Arizona in a three-game span.
Seattle’s offense entered the day without leading halfback Kenneth Walker III, and it still found a way to rack up 176 rushing yards, which is the Seahawks’ most in any game this season, and the most since they’ve had since gaining 146 in Week 1 (!) against the Denver Broncos. Their 409 yards of total offense is the third-most allowed this season by the Cardinals’ defense, after the Washington Commanders (449) and Green Bay Packers (437).
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Most importantly, Seattle’s defense continued its stretch of limiting opponents to 20 points or fewer in regulation to five games. There’s always caution that a turn towards the positive — particularly a turn towards something excellent — is temporary. No one wants to be left the fool. But I’m running out of excuses to see Seattle’s defensive improvement as anything but real, and their defensive ceiling as anything but clearly playoff-caliber. The odds of a possible playoff visit? Now sitting at 76%.
Not bad, Mike Macdonald.
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