NFC West opens up after Seahawks loss to Bills, Cardinals’ next opponent
Nov 8, 2020, 2:24 PM | Updated: 7:02 pm
Buffalo Bills' Jerry Hughes (55) knocks the ball away from Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson (3) to force a fumble during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bills recovered the ball. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
(AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Well, if you’re an Arizona Cardinals fan, you’ll certainly take it.
The Seattle Seahawks were thoroughly handled by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in a 44-34 loss, dropping them to 6-2 and putting the 5-2 Cardinals a win away from being atop the NFC West and tied for the best record in the NFC.
Outside of the Cardinals failing to take advantage by losing 34-31 to the Dolphins, the bad news is also that Bills quarterback Josh Allen got back to his form in the first month of the season that made him an MVP candidate, just in time for Buffalo’s trip to Arizona a week from Sunday. Allen was 31-of-38 for 415 yards and three touchdowns.
This followed a four-week stretch where the 2018 first-round pick got back to his inconsistent form from his first two seasons.
Josh Allen pic.twitter.com/bG9ObHP8ni
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) November 6, 2020
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The Seahawks’ only effective defense was blitzing the heck out of Allen, and Buffalo was more than fine with taking seven sacks, as they would have scored in the first six possessions of the game had it not been for a missed field goal. The Bills only handed the ball off to a running back 12 times, and that included a handful of ’em as they killed the game off late in the fourth quarter.
On the other end of the ball, Seattle’s offense didn’t get much going until the game was over and was fortunate to wind up with 34 points.
In a late rally that never really threatened, Russell Wilson recovered from a rough day of four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) to throw for 390 yards, completing 28 of his 41 attempts for two scores. To be fair to Wilson, he was knocked down 16 times in the game, the most for any quarterback in the NFL this season.
Seattle’s rushing attack was nonexistent, averaging 3.4 yards per carry.
The Seahawks have now dropped two straight, losing their early cushion in the NFC West and now multiplying the importance of their next two games, going to Los Angeles to face the Rams and then a rematch with the Cardinals on Thursday Night Football in Seattle.
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