Notes from the Nest: Cardinals vs. Seahawks

GLENDALE, Ariz. — It’s time for Week 17. Can you believe it?

The Cardinals are facing off against the Seattle Seahawks in a game that could still mean something, but certainly means less than many of us thought it would when the schedule first came out.

At any rate, the Cardinals enter the game having talked all week about trying to win with most of their regulars active.

Is it the right call to play the starters? With that, how long will they be on the field?

Let’s get this thing started.

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End of regular season

The Seahawks came in and thoroughly dominated this game, coming away with a 36-6 win. It’s the worst loss of the Bruce Arians era, and a crummy way to finish up an otherwise great season.

And that’s just it, really. The Cards are 13-3 and have a first-round bye in the playoffs as the NFC’s second seed, a formality that was reaffirmed during this game. Was their performance today indicative of how little they may have cared, or is it a sign of terrible things to come? I’d lean toward the former, but we’ll find out in a couple weeks when the playoffs begin.

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1:57 left in regular season

Seahawks have a fourth and five at the Arizona 34. They’re going to go for it because why not, at this point. This game is over and has been for a good while now.

Score is 36-6.

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5:13 left in regular season

And on fourth down, Stanton is picked off by DeShawn Shea. Bobby Massie makes the tackle after the return gets the ‘Hawks to their own 40.

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6:11 left in regular season

Cardinals have moved the ball pretty well and currently have it at the Seattle 12. It’s third down.

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13:03 left in regular season

The Seahawks have turned things over to backup QB Tarvaris Jackson. Probably a good call.

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End of third quarter

The Cardinals forced a punt and ended up getting a first down after Richard Sherman picks up a personal foul penalty for a Randy Moss-esque gesture to the Arizona bench after breaking up a pass. Stanton misfires on a deep ball to John Brown, who looked like he maybe could have caught it, and it’s 2nd and 10 from the Arizona 25.

Just 15 minutes left in the regular season, everybody.

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2:23 left in third quarter

Seahawks, with Russell Wilson still in the game, moving a little. Those play-action dump-offs into the flat have been big for them, and the ball is currently at the Seattle 48. It’s first down.

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3:21 left in third quarter

Stanton’s third-down pass is batted down at the line. Butler punts toward the sideline so nothing in the way of a return, and Seattle takes over at their own 33.

This game has turned into a very boring affair.

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Still 4:49 left in third quarter

Stanton and the offense come out to begin another drive at the 20. Seems like a theme.

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4:49 left in third quarter

Dwight Freeney sacks Wilson for a 16-yard loss on third down. It is the veteran’s eighth sack of the season and it earned him another $100,000. Hauschka comes in and drills a 52-yard field goal to make the score 36-6.

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8:17 left in third quarter

Stanton is promptly intercepted by Earl Thomas. Looked like the QB just didn’t see the safety lurking underneath the route.

Seattle takes over at the Arizona 33 after a 10-yard return.

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9:35 left in third quarter

Kerwynn Williams returns the kick to the Arizona 10, so that’s not ideal. Anyway, the Stanton-led offense will go to work from there in a game that has been pretty much absolved of meaning and intensity.

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9:39 left in third quarter

Cardinals give up some yards but end up forcing the Seahawks to settle for a field goal attempt, which is good from 33-yards out. Seattle extends lead to 33-6.

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12:46 left in third quarter

Cards pick up a personal foul during a brief scuffle after the opening kickoff.

Seahawks moving down the field with the same ease they did in the first half. Word has come out that Bruce Arians plans on sitting Carson Palmer in the second half — but the rest of the starters will play.

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End of first half

The Cardinals move the ball into Seattle territory and Chandler Catanzaro is brought on for a 51-yard field goal attempt. The ball bounces off the left post and falls away, so no dice. Score is 30-6 here at the half.

Oh, and Seattle gets the ball to start the third quarter.

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:27 left in second quarter

Defense comes up with some stops as Wilson took shots at the end zone, then Hauschka misses on his field goal. First time the Seahawks have not come away with points today.
Cards take over at their own 30.

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1:32 left in second quarter

Seattle’s defense holds Arizona and then Lockett surprisingly puts together a good punt return. Seattle is back in Arizona territory looking to add more to what is already a pretty impressive lead.

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2:00 left in second quarter

Cardinals pick up nine on a pass to Larry Fitzgerald, so it’s second and one at their own 29. Field position battle has been about as bad as the scoreboard one for Arizona. Seattle dominating all three phases of  the game.

Is this a Cardinals team that does not care, a Cardinals team that is playing poorly, a Seahawks team that has something to prove or what? A combination of them all?

Either way, this is surprising and a little uninspiring.

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2:08 left in second quarter

Cardinals force a third down but Wilson hits Jermaine Kearse for a 24-yard touchdown. Beat Justin Bethel on the play. Bethel, by the way, has had a rough day.

Hauschka’s PAT is no good, at least, so it’s only 30-6.

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2:59 left in second quarter

Palmer’s pass to John Brown on third down is dropped, and another butler punt is returned into Cards territory by Lockett. Arizona has no answer for Seattle’s rookie speedster. Seattle starts at the Cardinals’ 27.

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3:58  left in second quarter

Drew Butler’s punt is returned by Lockett to the Arizona 23, but a facemask penalty on Brittan Golden puts it at the eight. First play from scrimmage is a Wilson pass to tight end Chase Coffman, so there’s that. PAT is good, and the score is 24-6.

Seattle putting a hurting on the Cardinals so far. Whether this game matters or not, this is surprising.

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4:21 left in second quarter

Cards catch a break when a sure Palmer interception is dropped as Seahawks collided with each other. A first down is followed by a couple incompletions, and then third and nine is made more difficult by a Ted Larsen false start. Palmer gets the ball to Michael Floyd for what should have been a first, but the receiver was unable to hang on and the Cards will punt it away.

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6:02 left in second quarter

Shows how much I know. Wilson hit Lockett for a deep pass on third down, and then some nice runs and other darts thrown by the QB leads to Seattle punching the ball into the end zone again. This score was a seven-yard pass to Will Tukuafu, who was wide open on the dump-off.

The PAT is good and the road team has a 17-6 advantage.

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11:07 left in second quarter

Cards seem to be finding a groove on defense. They have the ‘Hawks in a 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 19. Dwight Freeney has applied some pressure, and Alex Okafor has looked OK, too.

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11:59 left in second quarter

Cards continued to move the ball down the field, with Palmer finding John Brown for a couple of nice gains. Then, the QB hit a wide-open Larry Fitzgerald in the seam for a 17-yard touchdown. Chandler Catanzaro missed the PAT — this has been an issue in recent weeks — and the score is 10-6 Seahawks.

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End of the first quarter

The first quarter comes to an end with an emphatic announcement from the referee. Not a good 15 minutes for the Cardinals, with some defensive lapses and a turnover. However, we’ve all seen enough of this team to know this is hardly an insurmountable deficit.

They key will be getting some points out of this drive, which has the Cardinals facing a third-and-nine from the Seattle 46.

And so far, Palmer has been hit a couple times.

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:51 left in first quarter

Cards pick up a first down on a third and long and move a little more with some David Johnson runs (one for five yards, another for a couple but with 15 added due to a facemask). Arizona is now at the Seattle 47 and showing signs of life.

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3:08 left in first quarter

Cards give up a few yards but otherwise hold their ground. Steven Hauschka, one of the best in the business, connects on a 52-yard field goal to extend Seattle’s lead to 10-0.

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4:33 left in first quarter

Cards start at their 20 and go nowhere on a first-down run. On second down, Palmer’s deep pass is intercepted by a wide-open Jeremy Lane. Not sure if JJ Nelson, who was in the area, ran the wrong route, or if Larry Fitzgerald, who was also nearby, was held up too much (some contact, no call, probably right to not throw a flag) to get to the ball. Either way, Seahawks take over at the Arizona 41. Rough start for Arizona.

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5:22 left in first quarter

The call was not reversed, which led to a third down, but Bryce Brown runs through a nice-sized hole and into the end zone for a score. The PAT is good, and the Seahawks have an early 7-0 lead.

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5:26 left in first quarter

Cardinals looked like they had the Seahawks in a solid spot but then Christine Michael busted off a long run. A couple of short passes later — one a play-action toss to tight end Cooper Helfet — put the visitors at the one. A stuffed run on first down was followed by a Wilson scramble looks to have them still at the one, as the QB started his slide prior to the goal line. Pete Carroll challenged the ruling but I think this one is going to stick.

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12:41 left in first quarter

Another short pass to Fitzgerald is followed by a one-yard run from David Johnson, but then on third down Palmer’s deep pass to Michael Floyd is broken up by Richard Sherman (nice coverage, by the way).

Nice return on Drew Butler’s punt by Tyler Lockett, but a hold brings the ball back to the Seattle 12.

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14:46 left in first quarter

Cards start at their 20 and first play from scrimmage is a 15-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz sets a new all-time franchise record for receptions in a season with the catch, his 104th of the season.