This game really worries me.

[Largent80]

On the road we are average at best.

Did you think we were average in Philly?

We curbstomped them. We held the ball for a franchise record T.O.P.

All of our other road games we were never trailing by more than 7. Most of those were before we rediscovered our defense and remember, the offense is still improving every week.

 

[MidwestHawker]

Their style of defense always gives Russell Wilson trouble. That defense is the blue print for beating Russell. As far as their offense goes, it might play to their advantage because dink and dunk offenses always give our defense trouble no matter who the QB is.

Examples?

Every offense we've lost to this year.

Of course, that was before our defense came together last month.

The Cowboys' offense is not at all of the dink-and-dunk variety. Of regular starters in the NFL, Romo's deep percentage is in the top 10, so that can't apply.

If you're counting the Rams as an offense we lost to, they didn't give our defense trouble; they were held to 275 total yards.

So basically this is just about Alex Smith and Philip Rivers? Rivers is arguably dink-and-dunk, Smith definitely is, but if they're the point of comparison for why we might struggle with Ryan Lindley then that would be insane, since Smith and Rivers are both extremely high-efficiency even if they don't run really vertical offenses.

 

[Scottemojo]

[youtube]SWmQbk5h86w[/youtube]

 

[pehawk]

Thing about this defense is you have to have savvy pocket presence and a strong arm to beat it. Romo and Rivers have that, in spades. I don't think Lindley does.

What does scare me is Bevell vs Bowles. The Hawks can't afford to counter-punch for the entire 1st half. Bevell can't seemingly forfeit a series by doing something stupid. He needs to let his players do what they know they can do.

Hawks are gamers across the board. If it's close it's only due Bevell asking the players to execute plays they haven't all year.

 

[Sparkchaser737]

I think the Hawks win this game, but I am for sure nervous about it. As long as they set the tone early, I think the Hawks run away with it. The Cards always play us tough down here.

http://www.mcubed.net/nfl/sea/ari.shtml

 

[kmedic]

I agree. Too many people are just focusing on the fact that they are down to their third or fourth string QB and making conclusions off of that only. Alarm bells are ringing in my ears. I know we are playing great ball right now, but how is an 11-3 football team 7+ point underdogs at home in probably the game of the century for that franchise? Look, remember the Ravens 2001? Remember their crappy QB? Guy named Dilfer....horrible QB, probably not much better than Lindley and they won the SB. Why? Because he probably threw the ball 15 times a game and was told that the defense would do the rest. This is a game where our defense cannot just carry us. Our offense has to step up and play the best ball of the season. I'm just not sure our crappy offensive line can do it. Honestly, I think our chances are only 50/50 we win this game. Anyone who has watched a lot of NFL football should know that there is something not right about going on the road against an 11-3 team and expect to win.

I think the game of the century for that franchise probably was the SB. I could be wrong.

The 11-3 team is an underdog because they're not only down to their 3rd/4th string QB, they're also without their top RB. And Dilfer is WORLDS better than Lindley. This team was 9-1, and they lost to us and the Falcons in back to back games (and it should be noted that Atlanta has absolutely no defense). Yes, the Cardinals beat the Chiefs and Rams, but they escaped both of those games by one score each, and neither of those teams is as well-rounded as we are. Our offense is better than both KC and St. Louis, and our D is better than both of those squads, as well. KC played those Cards to a 3-point game when Stanton was there. We get Lindley. That matters. Also, those close wins over KC and the Rams required a +2 turnover differential for the Cards in each game. Do you know how many times in the Russell Wilson era that the Seahawks have had a -2 turnover differential in a game? Twice - against the Rams on the road in 2012 and against Tampa last year. Even with those 7 sacks the Cards got against us in Seattle, we never turned the ball over. If we do that again, we win.

Yeah, the Cardinals are an 11-3 team. But we're a 10-4 team. And over the last 4 games, we're better. Over the last 8 games, we're better. And Sunday night, we'll be better.

All you guys that seem to keep focusing on their QB.....there's more to a football game than just offense. Lindley doesn't need to throw TD's passes if his defense is scoring them. If his defense gets a pick and returns it to our 20 yard line, who cares if he goes 3 and OUT, they still get a FG. How about a big ST return by Ginn? Are you guys thinking about these things? Cmon, it's ridiculous how you much you ignore their defense. Listen, I'm not saying we are going to lose, I'm just saying this is more a 50/50 game than the certain win that you all make it to be.

 

[MidwestHawker]

I think the Hawks win this game, but I am for sure nervous about it. As long as they set the tone early, I think the Hawks run away with it. The Cards always play us tough down here.

http://www.mcubed.net/nfl/sea/ari.shtml

Bolded isn't meaningful; as far as Seahawks at Cardinals games go, the only one that has any applicability is last year's game, since that was the first meeting of the Arians era, and they certainly weren't tough on us in that game. I also don't take that as a meaningfully positive data point, since that Cardinal team was still finding themselves, the same way I don't think much of the 2012 opener since Russell Wilson was still learning how to be an NFL QB then. And obviously games like the Hasselbeck Seahawks at the Warner Cardinals are entirely meaningless to this coming game.

Granted that road games are tough, but there's almost nothing in the way of historical data between the two teams that actually both applies and points to anything bad happening here.

 

[MidwestHawker]

All you guys that seem to keep focusing on their QB.....there's more to a football game than just offense. Lindley doesn't need to throw TD's passes if his defense is scoring them. If his defense gets a pick and returns it to our 20 yard line, who cares if he goes 3 and OUT, they still get a FG. How about a big ST return by Ginn? Are you guys thinking about these things? Cmon, it's ridiculous how you much you ignore their defense. Listen, I'm not saying we are going to lose, I'm just saying this is more a 50/50 game than the certain win that you all make it to be.

I mean I said myself that things like turnovers, defensive scores, special teams returns are the one thing the Cards could do to maybe win the game, but you have to understand that those aren't actually statistically likely events, and certainly nothing that by themselves brings the game up to a level of 50/50.

Are you under the impression that there's a 50% chance of their defense scoring on us?

 

[Ruminator]

They literally have won 5-6 games they had no business winning. Fluke calls/bounces/etc have quite literally off-set any bad luck they have had injury wise. They have caught EVERY BREAK possible in EVERY close game.

Precisely the thing that concerns me the most as a Seahawk fan going into this game. If it's not evenly called and Cards get a few breaks again, GRRRRR!

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Not worried.

Both defenses are great. But when it comes down to it, I don't believe that Russell Wilson will lose the game MORE than Ryan Lindley.

I'm guessing 9 points wins this deal.

Maybe it's in our collective DNA to wring our hands and expect the worst. But this team isn't like that. Russell won't make the mistakes necessary to give Lindley a chance to make plays. Arizona is going to have to try to drive the ball on us and I just don't see that happening.

Seattle is comfortable in these kinds of slogfests. Ultimately the game changing plays should come from us. We can get blitzed and sacked and go three and out with regularity. But we're going to make more impact plays than Arizona.

 

[sutz]

Meh...

Defenses fairly equal, edge to Seahawks, though. They have that top notch front line, we have the best secondary in the league, damn good LBs and a line that gets the job done.

Offenses no comparison. Except maybe at WR, we're pretty much better across the board.

I think we win going away.

 

[Largent80]

If the Hawks hold the "best offense EVER" to 8 points in the super bowl in a road game, they certainly can and will beat AZ.

remember the December Hawk offense last year?....This version is better and improving.

As long as Bevell keeps his head screwed on we should be fine. Evidently last week at halftime Cable is the one that made the adjustments to the run game.

 

[marko358]

I can't think of a single facet of Arizona's game where we don't have an edge. I mean we're talking about a 1,2 punch of Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, 2 potential future HOFers vs. Ryan Lindley and I don't even know who at RB for Arizona. They couldn't do squat against our defense when they had Stanton in there,who happens to be light years better than Lindley.

 

[Boycie]

I agree. Too many people are just focusing on the fact that they are down to their third or fourth string QB and making conclusions off of that only. Alarm bells are ringing in my ears. I know we are playing great ball right now, but how is an 11-3 football team 7+ point underdogs at home in probably the game of the century for that franchise? Look, remember the Ravens 2001? Remember their crappy QB? Guy named Dilfer....horrible QB, probably not much better than Lindley and they won the SB. Why? Because he probably threw the ball 15 times a game and was told that the defense would do the rest. This is a game where our defense cannot just carry us. Our offense has to step up and play the best ball of the season. I'm just not sure our crappy offensive line can do it. Honestly, I think our chances are only 50/50 we win this game. Anyone who has watched a lot of NFL football should know that there is something not right about going on the road against an 11-3 team and expect to win.

That is exactly why I feel like we got this game. When we need to score, or we need a big play, Russ finds a way to get it done. We should have won the playoff game in Atlanta (if we didn't play prevent D on the Falcon's last drive), because Russel was clutch. To say I am not nervous would be lying, but I feel we got this!

 

[ZagHawk]

They beat a healthy Seahawks team at Clink last year with FOUR turnovers. If you're not at least a little worried. Well then you're just an overly confident fan.

 

[Hawkpower]

They beat a healthy Seahawks team at Clink last year with FOUR turnovers. If you're not at least a little worried. Well then you're just an overly confident fan.

Is Carson Palmer limping out to throw the rock?

Not sure how your example is relevant.

Plus, we all know how dangerous it is for the team when the fans are overconfident lol 8)

 

[hawkfan68]

They beat a healthy Seahawks team at Clink last year with FOUR turnovers. If you're not at least a little worried. Well then you're just an overly confident fan.

Is Carson Palmer limping out to throw the rock?

Not sure how your example is relevant.

Plus, we all know how dangerous it is for the team when the fans are overconfident lol 8)

:13:

 

[hawkfan68]

They beat a healthy Seahawks team at Clink last year with FOUR turnovers. If you're not at least a little worried. Well then you're just an overly confident fan.

Is Carson Palmer limping out to throw the rock?

Not sure how your example is relevant.

Plus, we all know how dangerous it is for the team when the fans are overconfident lol 8)

:13:

No Palmer is a big difference. Lindley doesn't equal Palmer. The dude hasn't even thrown a td pass in over 100+ pass attempts.

 

[volsunghawk]

I agree. Too many people are just focusing on the fact that they are down to their third or fourth string QB and making conclusions off of that only. Alarm bells are ringing in my ears. I know we are playing great ball right now, but how is an 11-3 football team 7+ point underdogs at home in probably the game of the century for that franchise? Look, remember the Ravens 2001? Remember their crappy QB? Guy named Dilfer....horrible QB, probably not much better than Lindley and they won the SB. Why? Because he probably threw the ball 15 times a game and was told that the defense would do the rest. This is a game where our defense cannot just carry us. Our offense has to step up and play the best ball of the season. I'm just not sure our crappy offensive line can do it. Honestly, I think our chances are only 50/50 we win this game. Anyone who has watched a lot of NFL football should know that there is something not right about going on the road against an 11-3 team and expect to win.

I think the game of the century for that franchise probably was the SB. I could be wrong.

The 11-3 team is an underdog because they're not only down to their 3rd/4th string QB, they're also without their top RB. And Dilfer is WORLDS better than Lindley. This team was 9-1, and they lost to us and the Falcons in back to back games (and it should be noted that Atlanta has absolutely no defense). Yes, the Cardinals beat the Chiefs and Rams, but they escaped both of those games by one score each, and neither of those teams is as well-rounded as we are. Our offense is better than both KC and St. Louis, and our D is better than both of those squads, as well. KC played those Cards to a 3-point game when Stanton was there. We get Lindley. That matters. Also, those close wins over KC and the Rams required a +2 turnover differential for the Cards in each game. Do you know how many times in the Russell Wilson era that the Seahawks have had a -2 turnover differential in a game? Twice - against the Rams on the road in 2012 and against Tampa last year. Even with those 7 sacks the Cards got against us in Seattle, we never turned the ball over. If we do that again, we win.

Yeah, the Cardinals are an 11-3 team. But we're a 10-4 team. And over the last 4 games, we're better. Over the last 8 games, we're better. And Sunday night, we'll be better.

All you guys that seem to keep focusing on their QB.....there's more to a football game than just offense. Lindley doesn't need to throw TD's passes if his defense is scoring them. If his defense gets a pick and returns it to our 20 yard line, who cares if he goes 3 and OUT, they still get a FG. How about a big ST return by Ginn? Are you guys thinking about these things? Cmon, it's ridiculous how you much you ignore their defense. Listen, I'm not saying we are going to lose, I'm just saying this is more a 50/50 game than the certain win that you all make it to be.

It's ridiculous how much you ignore our defense and discount our offense. We don't turn the ball over (2nd fewest turnovers in the league). We stop drives - 15/49 3rd down conversion rate in our last 4 games. Seriously, there's been ONE good drive against us in the last 4 games, and that was when the 49ers got their lone TD in this most recent game.

So, what if Arizona's defense DOESN'T get a pick? What if Arizona DOESN'T get a big ST return? Considering that big special teams plays aren't really Arizona's calling card and also that our offense protects the ball more than just about any offense in the league, what happens if nothing unlikely or out of the ordinary occurs?

On the flip side, what if WE get a pick? What if WE get a big ST return? We have just as much a chance to do that as they do. Our defense is better than theirs is. They have a better overall pass rush, but we have a better secondary. Our offense is better than theirs is. We have a VASTLY superior QB, and a much superior RB. Why should we assume the best of their D and the worst of our O? Given how we've been playing recently, why not the other way around?

 

[MidwestHawker]

On the flip side, what if WE get a pick? What if WE get a big ST return? We have just as much a chance to do that as they do.

At least as far as interceptions are concerned, I'd say we have a much better chance to make those than they do. Russell Wilson is both efficient and generally safe in his decisions to throw the football.

On the other side of the ball, we have Andy Bernard discovering that his phone is in the ceiling.