The Seattle Seahawks hit a 52-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to end the Cardinals’ comeback bid and move to 3-1 on the season. With that 23-20 victory, Seattle has now won eight straight games against the Cards.
Arizona scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game very late in the fourth quarter. However, the Seahawks picked up 26 yards in 28 seconds, which allowed them to kick a field goal as time expired for the victory.
After forcing a punt on the game’s opening possession, Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III picked up 29 yards on a dump-off pass, which led to Seattle going for a 4th and 1 near midfield. Arizona’s defense was up for the task, though, stuffing the run to force a turnover on downs.
On their second drive of the evening, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray threw an awful interception that was picked off by Seattle safety Coby Bryant. However, Bryant fumbled the ball while returning the interception after being accidentally hit by one of his teammates. That loose fumble was picked up by Arizona for a fresh set of downs on the Seahawks’ side of the field. From there, the Cardinals ended up making it to the red zone, but the drive died out inside the ten yard line, so Arizona kicked a field goal to go up 3-0.
The Cardinals had no answer for Kenneth Walker III early in the game. He accounted for 64 yards on the Seahawks’ first two series. Their second drive ended with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end AJ Barner to give Seattle a 7-3 lead. Last year, Barner had four TDs in 17 games. This season, he already has two touchdown receptions in the Seahawks’ first four games.
Following an exchange of punts, the Cardinals’ offense got things going. They recorded two third-down conversions before hitting tight end Trey McBride for a 17-yard reception. Unfortunately for Arizona, a pass that hit the hands of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was bobbled and snatched away by the Seahawks, cutting short a drive that could’ve made it a one-point game.
The Seahawks would strike once more before the break. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold completed a 32-yard pass and ran for 24 yards on back-to-back plays to get to Arizona’s 34 yard line. Then, a defensive pass interference in the end zone put the Seahawks on the one yard line, which led to a Zach Charbonnet touchdown run to put Seattle ahead 14-3 going into halftime.
It was an up-and-down night for Kyler Murray, going 27 for 41 passing with 200 yards, two touchdowns, 41 rushing yards, two interceptions, and six sacks. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold was efficient, with 18 completions on 26 attempts for 242 passing yards, three sacks, a touchdown, and another 24 yards on the ground.
The Seahawks continued to move the ball down the field effectively to start the third quarter. They picked up 40 yards in nine plays, which allowed them to kick a 44-yard field goal to increase their lead to 17-3. Seattle had two third-down conversions on that series and finished the game by going six for 13 on third-down attempts.
The Cardinals had another promising drive come up short of the end zone. After Kyler Murray completed three straight passes for a total of 30 yards, he then took back-to-back sacks, forcing the Cards to settle for a field goal to cut the lead to 17-6 heading into the final frame.
Kenneth Walker III had 110 scrimmage yards in this game. His 20-yard scamper in the fourth quarter got the Seahawks into the red zone once again. However, penalties derailed Seattle’s drive, forcing them to attempt a 31-yard field goal to make the score 20-6 with 9:33 left in the fourth quarter.
Arizona’s best drive of the night came midway through the final quarter. After Kyler Murray picked up 29 yards on a scramble, a 15-yard defensive pass interference penalty got the Cardinals into the red zone. Two plays later, Murray found Marvin Harrison Jr. in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 20-13 with 5:50 left in the game. MHJ had six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had an excellent outing. He caught four passes for 79 yards. His 36-yarder on a third down late in the fourth quarter kept Seattle’s drive alive and allowed them to burn more time off the clock. But Jason Meyers missed a 53-yard field goal attempt, reigniting Arizona’s comeback hopes.
Soon, the Cardinals were faced with a 4th and 4 near midfield with 3:01 left in the game. Arizona wideout Michael Wilson made a one-handed catch to move the chains and keep the series going. The Cards eventually made it into the red zone, where Kyler Murray threw a seven-yard TD pass to tie the game 20-20.
The Seahawks got the ball back with 28 seconds left in the game, which would be all the time they needed to pull out the win. A Jaxon Smith-Njigba 22-yard reception set up the game-winning field goal for Jason Meyers, who redeemed himself after the miss earlier in the fourth quarter.
With that loss, the Cardinals fell to 2-2 on the season. Arizona hasn’t beaten the Seattle Seahawks since November 2021.
*Author’s note: all information and statistics are tracked in real time and are provided by the game’s broadcaster, NFL.com, and ESPN.com*
