The 5: Iconic moments in recent Cardinals vs. Seahawks history

Sunday night in Glendale, the Cardinals will host the Seahawks in what is absolutely a big game with regards to the 2016 season. The visitors come to town with a 4-1 record and a lead in the NFC West, while the Cardinals are chasing them with a 3-3 mark.

Since Bruce Arians arrived in 2013 (the season after Arizona lost 58-0 in Seattle), the teams have been fairly competitive. The Seahawks hold a 4-2 edge, though two of the games — in 2014 — were played when the Cardinals were without Carson Palmer (one was started by Ryan Lindley, so…) and they not surprisingly lost both.

At any rate, the last few seasons have provided some memorable moments in the rivalry, and here are five of them.

2015 – Ellington TD leads to Stanton dance

A hard-fought game that saw the Cardinals cough up a substantial lead only to reclaim it was still hanging in the balance at the two-minute warning, with Arizona holding a 32-29 edge but facing a 3rd-and-8 at the Seattle 48. Too far for a field goal and not wanting to punt and give the Seahawks a chance, the Cardinals handed the ball off to Andre Ellington and watched him bounce to the outside, elude a tackler and race down the sideline to the end zone. The touchdown and ensuing PAT put the Cardinals up by 10, and they went on to win the game 39-32. Besides what the score did for the Cardinals and their hopes of winning the division, it also led to the Drew Stanton dance, which despite what Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said after, is a good thing.

Dansby INT to seal game in 2013

No one knew it at the time, but in 2013 the Seahawks were on their way to winning the Super Bowl when the Cardinals went to CenturyLink Field trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The odds were not in Arizona’s favor, as Seattle had won 14 straight home games and the Cardinals, while playing well, were an underdog. The game was close throughout, and with the Cardinals trailing 10-9 late in the fourth quarter, on a 3rd-and-6 from the Seattle 31, Cards QB Carson Palmer lofted a pass down the sideline to Michael Floyd, who made an outstanding catch to give to put the Cardinals on top. The two-point conversion gave Arizona a 17-10 lead, but the Seahawks were still alive until the very first play of their ensuing drive, when Russell Wilson’s first pass bounced off of receiver Doug Baldwin and into the arms of a diving Karlos Dansby. The TV announcers were not sure of what happened at the time — and one even thought the ball hit the ground — but upon replay the pick was ruled legit and the Cardinals left Seattle with a big-time victory.

Floyd TD that gave Arizona the lead in 2013

So, that Floyd touchdown catch mentioned above in the Dansby pick section? Yeah, it was great. The Cardinals’ “no risk-it, no biscuit” mentality was on full display with that throw, as they were in range for a long field goal at the Seattle 31 but instead identified single coverage and attacked it. It was Floyd’s first and only catch of the game, and he beat cornerback Byron Maxwell for the score with a bobbling grab in which he was able to get his feet in bounds.

Skittles for everyone in 2013

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was known for a lot of things, but one of them was his affinity for Skittles. So, when the Cardinals clinched their victory over Lynch and the Seahawks in 2013, Dan Williams and John Abraham celebrated with, you guessed it, the tasty candy. It was a solid troll job, and likely happened in part because Lynch infamously brought some Skittles with him to the sideline for the first meeting between the teams that season, which the Seahawks won 34-22 in Glendale.

Lynch goes ‘Beast Mode’ to finish off Cardinals

Not all memorable moments have been good for Arizona, though there are few specific things to point to in most of Seattle’s victories because they were such blowouts. However, one moment from the 2014 matchup in Glendale is likely to be remembered by all. In a game that essentially would decide the NFC West, the undermanned and outmatched Cardinals were officially put away when running back Marshawn Lynch ran for a 79-yard score with about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter to give Seattle a 28-6 lead. The run saw him break multiple tackles, including one attempt from Patrick Peterson, before outracing the rest of the defense on the way to the end zone. Besides the fact that it was a great run, it will largely be remembered for a gesture Lynch made while diving into the end zone. He was fined by the league for it, though that likely did little to make the Cardinals feel better.

 

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