Seattle Seahawks’ Michael Bennett: ‘It was up in the air’

The Vikings are the No. 3 seed in the NFC thanks to a victory at Green Bay Sunday that ended the Packers’ four-year grip on the NFC North. But a game against the Seahawks is hardly a reward for their first division title since 2009.

“The Vikings played their way into a home game and a better seeding, but that might be something they regret, considering the reward is a matchup against the team that throttled them 38-7 in December at home”.

“A team like that (Seattle) can embarrass you”. But it certainly posed some questions about Seattle coming to the end of the season.

What made the sequel more appealing to the Seahawks and their fans was returning to a powerful offensive attack and a smothering defense, two keys that Seattle will need if it is to make a third-straight trip to the Super Bowl come the first Sunday in February.

According to oddsmakers at MyBookie.ag, the Arizona Cardinals open as a 2/1 favorite to win the NFC Championship. The team is no longer invincible and the Seahawks especially could have an edge if the two were to face each other again.

Arians admitted Monday afternoon, per Darren Urban of the team’s official website, that the plan since last Monday was to pull Carson Palmer at halftime and ease other starters out of the game.

Wilson is right in line with all three of these candidates ranked 12 in the league with 4,024 passing yards, 34 touchdown passes which is good for third in the league, and a quarterback rating that is the best in football at 110.1. But Lockett was just getting started as were the Seahawks.

-COACHING: F. Arians talked all last week about how the Cardinals were going to take the regular-season finale seriously. Visitors went 118-138 this season, and the wild cards were a collective 19-13 away from home. The scoring passes led to each receiver’s second career touchdown. Touchdowns by running back Bryce Brown, fullback Will Tukuafu and tight end Chase Coffman aren’t exactly expected plays. Wilson also became the first Seattle quarterback to have a 4,000-yard passing season, besting Matt Hasselbeck’s single-season record in the process. Instead it was Arizona nailed for 15 yards for facemasking. That’s a bunch of guys working together to get that done. So Seattle was giving the ball at the 8 yard line off the wrong call. If it did, the Seahawks (10-6) would have lost by about 50 points Sunday. “I just have to move past it and get better”. Running back Christine Michael rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries for the Seahawks. He should not miss much time, however. When the zooming Lockett took off on a 66-yard punt return later in the first half, Sherman thought the flag at his feet at the start of the return was on him. Then it was time for the Lockett show. Seahawks CB Jeremy Lane left late in the first half with a rib injury…. It put a 36-6 demolition on the NFC West-champion Arizona Cardinals in a stunning regular-season finale at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday.

Lockett’s 42-yard runback led to another Wilson touchdown throw, a 24-yarder to Jermaine Kearse.

Drew Stanton replaced Palmer and was intercepted twice. Seattle went on to kick a 52 yard field goal as the embarrassment continued.

The defense allowed one TD drive but otherwise had its way with the Cardinals in a stunning turnaround from the teams’ November 15 game, in which Arizona scored 39 points.

Russell Wilson tossed three touchdowns and Seattle’s defense held Arizona to 27 rushing yards as the Seahawks dominated the Cardinals, 36-6, on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.