SEATTLE 36
ARIZONA 6
GLENDALE, Ariz. 鈥� The Seattle Seahawks are storming into the post-season with a rousing victory over the Arizona team that had dethroned them as NFC West champions.
Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes in a second-quarter outburst, and the Seahawks emphatically snapped the Cardinals鈥� nine-game winning streak in a 36-6 rout Sunday.
鈥淎bsolutely, this was a statement,鈥� the Seahawks鈥� Christine Michael said.
Playing on the same field where they lost a Super Bowl heartbreaker last February, the Seahawks (10-6) dominated from their opening possession and led 30-6 at the half.
鈥淚t was just us playing our style of football,鈥� Seattle鈥檚 Richard Sherman said. 鈥淚 think sometimes people forget who we are.鈥�
It was the most one-sided loss for Arizona in coach Bruce Arians鈥� three seasons in the desert, and a sour end to the regular season for the Cardinals (13-3), who had clinched the NFC鈥檚 No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye.
鈥淭his was a valuable lesson today,鈥� Arians said. 鈥淲e could see it coming all week. Coaches, players, everybody fell into that reading the press clippings that were anointing us Super Bowl champs. It鈥檚 a nice wakeup call. We got beaten in every phase of the game.鈥�
Tyler Lockett set up three of Seattle鈥檚 four first-half touchdowns with punt returns of 66 and 42 yards, and a 36-yard reception.
Seattle will play at either Washington or Minnesota in the wild-card round next weekend, depending on the outcome of Sunday night鈥檚 game between the Vikings and Green Bay.
鈥淭hese guys are confident that we can go wherever we got to go,鈥� Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. 鈥淲e still don鈥檛 know, but it isn鈥檛 going to matter.鈥�
Arizona鈥檚 Carson Palmer, who broke the franchise鈥檚 single-season record for passing yards, did not play in the second half. Wilson sat out the fourth quarter.
Seattle improved to 3-0 at Arizona since Arians became the Cardinals鈥� coach. Arizona beat the Seahawks in Seattle 39-32 on Nov. 15.
The Cardinals emphasized they have two weeks to straighten things out and get back to playing the way they did in a 38-8 rout of Green Bay last week.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not in any way panicking or freaking out,鈥� Palmer said.
Michael rushed 17 times for 102 yards, including a 44-yarder on Seattle鈥檚 first touchdown drive.
Wilson, repeatedly burning the Cardinals with misdirection plays, completed 19 of 28 passes for 197 yards. In a span of 3 minutes, 54 seconds, he threw TD passes of 7 yards to Will Tukuafu, 8 yards to Chase Coffman, and 24 yards to Jerome Kearse.
Tukuafu鈥檚 touchdown was his first reception of the season.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a playoff football team, one that鈥檚 been to the Super Bowl over the last two years,鈥� Arizona鈥檚 Larry Fitzgerald said. 鈥淪o we understand what we鈥檙e going to be dealing with, the kind of competition it鈥檚 going to be, and we have to raise our level of play, plain and simple.鈥�
Wilson broke Seattle鈥檚 single-season records for yards passing (4,024) and touchdowns (34). Lockett set a franchise mark with 139 yards in punt returns.
Wilson became the first player in NFL history with at least 4,000 yards passing, 30 touchdown passes and 500 yards rushing.
Arizona鈥檚 lone score came when Palmer threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald. For the fifth time this season, Chandler Catanzaro missed the conversion kick and Seattle led 10-6.
Then came the Seahawks鈥� deluge.
Wilson threw 36 yards to Lockett in an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the touchdown toss to the fullback Tukuafu. Lockett鈥檚 66-yard punt return, plus a facemask penalty against the Cardinals on the play, led to the touchdown pass to the third-string tight end Coffman.
Lockett鈥檚 42-yard run set up Wilson鈥檚 touchdown pass to Kearse that made it 30-6 with 2:06 left in the half.
Seattle鈥檚 first punt came with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.
Are the Cardinals concerned about possibly having to face the Seahawks in the playoffs?
鈥淭hey should be concerned,鈥� Sherman said.
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 led the NFL in fewest points allowed for the fourth consecutive season. ... Seahawks CB Jeremy Lane left late in the first half with a rib injury. ... Arizona defensive lineman Cory Redding injured an ankle in the first quarter and did not return. ... The Cardinals鈥� John Brown passed 1,000 yards receiving for the season. ... The Seahawks were without safety Kam Chancellor because of a pelvis injury. He had been listed as questionable.
