Jones, Allen help Cardinals take TD lead on Seahawks 12 seconds in

It looks like a strong bookend to a contract year for Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones.

He recorded his first strip-sack of a quarterback two possessions into the season against the Tennessee Titans, the start of a career-high five-sack day.

And one play into the regular season finale against the Seattle Seahawks, an eventual 38-30 loss, he got the Cardinals off to a fast start on a day where the offense needed any and all help.

Zach Allen recovers Russell Wilson's fumble and returns it for the #Cardinals TD!#SEAvsAZ #NFL #NFLTwitter #RedSea #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/6HyvB8vnLQ

— Football Outsiders (@fboutsiders) January 9, 2022

Jones went untouched against the Seahawks’ right side of the offensive line and hit quarterback Russell Wilson to spring the ball loose. Arizona defensive end Zach Allen scooped and scored it from 16 yards out to put the Cardinals ahead, 7-0.

Only 12 seconds had gone off the game clock to that point.

For Allen, the touchdown was his first since his senior year at New Canaan High School in Connecticut, when he caught an eight-yard pass as a tight end.

For Jones, the play moved him into double-digit sack territory for the seventh year of his career. His 10.5 sacks this season give the outside linebacker the fifth such campaign in six years with the Cardinals.

The #AZCardinals got off to a quick start. On the second play of the game, Chandler Jones secured a strip-sack, and Zach Allen took it to the house! Here is the call on 98.7 FM. pic.twitter.com/715VMFS7qP

— 98.7 Arizona Sports (@AZSports) January 9, 2022

The deficit, however, was quickly extinguished by Seattle, which capped a five-play, 75-yard drive via a 43-yard Tyler Lockett catch-and-run score.

That game-tying play came with only 2:34 off the first-quarter clock.

The Cardinals regained a lead after a 19-play drive sputtered to end with a 41-yard Matt Prater field goal, and Seattle answered that with 10 straight points.

Follow @AZSports