Billed as a certain defensive struggle in the desert, the Sunday Night Football battle between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals instead turned out to be a whoopin' behind the woodshed. An epic one at that.
Marshawn Lynch started the game on the bench due to an upset stomach, but made the most of his limited carries by gashing the Cardinals for 113 yards as Seattle steamrolled over Arizona, 35-6. "Well, that's about as much fun as you can have playing NFL football in the regular season," said Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. "Against an extrordinary, tough defense, our guys found a way to do all of the things we'd hoped to do."
Russell Wilson Had the Best Game of His Career
Often characterized as a 'game manager' due to his relatively low yardage totals through the air this season, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson showed that when given the opportunity, he is one of the most dynamic players in the league.
Not only did Wilson complete 20 out of 31 pass attempts for 331 yards and two touchdowns, but he ran for 88 more and connected on a season-long 80 yard scoring strike to tight end Luke Willson. "He got behind the defense," explained Russell Wilson. "He made a great play down the field, and scampered into the end zone. Those are type of plays we have to make."
Wilson now has 3,236 yards on the season, good for the 17th highest total in the league. He also has 842 rushing yards on 112 carries, easily the highest rushing totals by a quarterback in the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch Exploded for a 79 Yard Run
During the 2011 playoffs, Marshawn Lynch famously rumbled through the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints defense for 67 yards and a touchdown, en route to an opening round 41-36 victory. Not only was the run one of the greatest in playoff history, but the resulting thunderous roar from the crowd registered as a small earthquake on the Richter scale.
On Sunday, Lynch did it again. Taking the ball at the 21 yard line, Lynch started up the middle, then cut to the right. He blasted past cornerback Patrick Peterson, literally shoving the former All Pro out of bounds. He shook off Rashad Johnson, tightroped the sideline, and leaped backwards into the end zone for the longest score of his career.
"He's really just showing the world that he's a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, continue to say bad, man," said Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. "And if he's not in the race for MVP, it's like what else do you have to do if that's not an MVP run right there?"
The Receivers Were Outstanding
Doug Baldwin, the primary beneficiary of the midseason trade of Percy Harvin to the New York Jets, caught seven passes for 113 yards. Luke Willson scored twice and netted 139 yards on three receptions, and rookie Paul Richardson had five catches for 52 yards.
The Defense Stymied the Cardinals
Nearly lost in the chatter over the franchise-record 596 yards of offense was the continued domination by Seattle's defense, which allowed just six points and 216 yards, capping a five-game stretch where the team has given up just 33 total points.
Notes Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar:
"Their defense (has) clamped down over its last eight games to the tune of 12.6 points and 233.3 yards per game. At the same time, quarterback Russell Wilson has been a dangerous runner and an opportunistic passer in new ways, and the Seahawks have looked like the kind of team that could buck the 10-year trend of Super Bowl-winning teams that had failed to win a playoff game in the following season."
Seattle Can Now Clinch the Top Seed
The Seahawks are in prime position to capture the number one overall seed in the NFC provided they beat the Rams on Sunday at CenturyLink Field, and Green Bay and Detroit do not play to a tie. Like Seattle, Arizona has already clinched a playoff berth, but must defeat San Francisco on the road and hope Seattle falls to St. Louis in order to capture the West, and with that, the top seed.
Look out, NFC — the championship-calibre Seahawks are back. It appears the path to the Super Bowl will cross straight through the heart of an insanely loud CenturyLink Field. Better practice your silent snap counts.