Wilson, Seahawks rout Cardinals 36

The opportunity comes after starting right guard J.R. Sweezy was ruled out for the game with a concussion in the Seahawks’ injury report.

In the middle of last week, Michael Bennett was away from his team to get an injection into his pained toe that has troubled him all season. Michael Floyd dropped a good pass on third down. Arizona defensive lineman Cory Redding injured an ankle in the first quarter and did not return….

It was a turning point for the Seahawks as well. The Seahawks are expected to have running back Marshawn Lynch back for the playoffs.

The Cardinals earned a bye week with a 13-3 record and are the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Despite the win, they Seahawks finished as the No. 6 seed and will play at NFC North champion Minnesota in the wild-card round next weekend.

No. 3: This will be decided Sunday night as Green Bay (10-5) hosts Minnesota (10-5). The Cardinals will get the No. 1 seed with a win and Carolina loses to the Bucs. “That’s why people love this sport, because people play through pain and do what they do”. They will have to win three games in a row on the road to get to Super Bowl 50. If Seattle won, the Vikings would be making a return trip to Lambeau Field next week to play the Packers once more.

“I’m really proud for everybody that we were able to end on this note heading into the playoffs”, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said.

“A bunch more empty backfield sets”.

“We had a lot of problems at the beginning”, he said.

Arians has never beaten the Seahawks in Arizona.

It was ugly yes, and whether Bruce Arians did indeed see it coming, I’m not sure there is a way to stem that mindset the Cardinals played with Sunday against the Seahawks.

Seattle has a 9-6 record so far in the 2015 season as it attempts to get back to what would be its third straight Super Bowl appearance. The Seahawks defense is ranked 2nd place while the Cardinals defense ranked 5th place.

The Cardinals lead the league in scoring (32.2 points per game) and touchdowns (57). Hauschka missed the extra point, his fourth time this season. “I think he’s Rookie of the Year”, quarterback Russell Wilson said. When his Cardinals were even worse a day later, the Arizona coach envisioned what might unfold Sunday. Seattle was initially hopeful Lynch might return this week, but he was not ready. Bryce Brown ran behind that gem for a first down. But last week against St. Louis, it fell apart. And Seattle dismantled them 36-6 in the teams’ regular-season finale on Sunday.

Considering everything Wilson achieved in his first three seasons, nobody argued he wasn’t a good quarterback.

NOTES: Fitzgerald caught six passes and, with 109 catches, broke the franchise record for receptions in a season he set with 104 in 2005….

The Seahawks have to find a way to regroup after falling at home to the Rams last week.

That was before Wilson found tight end Chase Coffman for his second career touchdown. Seattle went on to kick a 52 yard field goal as the embarrassment continued.