NFL

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

· National Football League
8-5, 5-1 Away
Final
30 - 18
6-7, 4-3 Home

Charbonnet runs for career-high 134 yards, 2 TDs as NFC West-leading Seahawks beat Cardinals 30-18

Seahawks sack Kyler Murray on final play to ice win

The Seahawks have proved they have a good team. Now they want to be great.

Their 30-18 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday suggests they're at least trending toward that goal. Seattle (8-5) has won four straight games and maintained its one-game lead in the NFC West.

“We didn't want them to score,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said of the final play. “We want to be dominant. And you can't just be dominant at certain times, you have to be dominant throughout the game.”

After a slow start, the Seahawks controlled the final 3 1/2 quarters. Zach Charbonnet ran for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns, Geno Smith threw for 233 yards and a score, and the defense had two crucial interceptions in the first quarter.

The Seahawks swept the season series from the Cardinals. They have won seven in a row against their division rival.

Seattle shook off an early deficit to take a 24-10 lead by halftime. Charbonnet broke a tackle at midfield and sprinted 51 yards for a touchdown with 2:36 left in the second quarter.

The 23-year-old Charbonnet thrived in an increased role, taking over for injured starter Kenneth Walker III. The second-year player also caught seven passes for 59 yards.

“It's tough to tackle that guy in the open field,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “He's got speed and power.”

Smith completed 24 of 30 passes and wasn't sacked.

“Dude, I thought the (offensive line) was phenomenal,” Smith said. “The way they played, we can win every game we play.”

The Cardinals (6-7) could have moved into a share of first place with a win. Instead, they have lost three straight and are fading from the playoff picture. Murray threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw interceptions on back-to-back passes in the first quarter.

It's the first time in Murray's six-year career that he's had at least two interceptions in consecutive games.

“Today, you throw two picks, put yourself behind the eight-ball in the NFL, it's tough,” Murray said. “It's on me. Just put it on me.”

The Cardinals cut the margin to 27-18 late in the third quarter on Murray's 2-yard, underhand shovel pass to James Conner. Murray also ran for the 2-point conversion.

Arizona had a chance to make it a one-possession game midway through the fourth, but Chad Ryland's 40-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright. It was Ryland's third straight game with a missed field goal.

“I've got to find some answers to get us going a little bit, because we haven't played great the past couple weeks,” second-year Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “That falls on me. I've got to go back to the drawing board tomorrow, get these things corrected, put them in better position, and we've got to win a game.”

The Seahawks took a 10-7 lead in the first quarter on back-to-back big plays by the defense and then the offense. Jones picked off Murray, giving Seattle the ball at the Cardinals 19.

“It was kind of right to me, so I don't know what he saw,” Jones said. “But it happens.”

Smith capitalized on the next play, finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 19-yard touchdown.

Murray was picked off again on the next possession, this time by Coby Bryant. The Seahawks took advantage of the good field position again, with Charbonnet running for a 1-yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead.

It was a stunning turn of events for the Cardinals, who were in control on the first few drives. They cruised downfield on their opening possession and Murray hit Michael Wilson on a perfectly executed play-action pass for a 41-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Injuries Seahawks: Walker (ankle, calf) was ruled out on Saturday. He's run for 542 yards and seven TDs this season and was one of seven inactive Seattle players.

Cardinals: Starting S Jalen Thompson (illness) played after appearing on injury report Saturday. ... P Blake Gillikin (ankle) got hurt in the first half and Ryland had to take over as the punter. ... DL Roy Lopez (ankle) left the game in the second half.

Up next Seahawks: Host Green Bay next Sunday.

Cardinals: Host New England next Sunday.

How can I watch Seahawks vs. Cardinals?

  • TV Channel: Seahawks at Cardinals 2021-22 NFL, week 14 is broadcasted nationally on CBS and NFL Sunday Ticket - Paramount+ NFL on CBS 2021 - Try it FREE!.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
    In Canada, viewers can watch Seahawks vs. Cardinals on DAZN.

Matchup Prediction

Cardinals: 57.0%
Seahawks: 42.7%
*According to ESPN's Football Power Index

Scoring Summary

ARI TD 1st Period 11:53 Michael Wilson 41 Yd pass from Kyler Murray (Chad Ryland Kick)
SEA FG 1st Period 4:41 Jason Myers 20 Yd Field Goal
SEA TD 1st Period 3:25 Jaxon Smith-Njigba 19 Yd pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers Kick)
SEA TD 1st Period 0:16 Zach Charbonnet 1 Yd Rush (Jason Myers Kick)
ARI FG 2nd Period 10:53 Chad Ryland 28 Yd Field Goal
SEA TD 2nd Period 2:36 Zach Charbonnet 51 Yd Rush (Jason Myers Kick)
SEA FG 3rd Period 5:29 Jason Myers 36 Yd Field Goal
ARI TD 3rd Period 1:05 James Conner 2 Yd pass from Kyler Murray (Kyler Murray Run for Two-Point Conversion)
SEA FG 4th Period 1:56 Jason Myers 35 Yd Field Goal

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/sea.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originSEA https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/ari.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originARI
18 1st Downs 21
10 Passing 1st downs 14
8 Rushing 1st downs 7
0 1st downs from penalties 0
7-15 3rd down efficiency 4-12
0-0 4th down efficiency 1-1
61 Total Plays 63
409 Total Yards 356
6.7 Yards per Play 5.7
11 Total Drives 12
233 Passing 235
24/30 Comp/Att 25/38
7.8 Yards per pass 5.9
0 Interceptions thrown 2
0-0 Sacks-Yards Lost 2-24
176 Rushing 121
31 Rushing Attempts 23
5.7 Yards per rush 5.3
2-5 Red Zone (Made-Att) 1-3
9-62 Penalties 6-49
0 Turnovers 2
0 Fumbles lost 0
0 Interceptions thrown 2
0 Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0
33:02 Possession 26:58

Game Information

State Farm Stadium

Location: Glendale, AZ
Attendance: 64,533 · Capacity:

2024 NFC West Standings

TEAM W L PCT T PF PA
Los Angeles 9 6 .600 0 329 347
Seattle 8 7 .533 0 339 340
Arizona 7 8 .467 0 344 342
San Francisco 6 9 .400 0 331 349
Full Standings

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