Halftime Observations: Interceptions Guide Seahawks to 24-10 Lead vs. Cardinals

Picking off Kyler Murray twice in quick succession, the Seahawks capitalized on the mistakes by turning the turnovers into a 14-point lead in Glendale.

Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) returns an interception against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

GLENDALE, Ari. - Scoring three times in under four minutes to cash in on a pair of interceptions, the Seattle Seahawks rebounded from an early coverage bust to build a commanding 24-10 halftime advantage over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

Out of the gate, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray start off cooking with a clean pocket and minimal pressure on him, leading a six-play, 70-yard scoring drive that concluded with receiver Michael Wilson beating safety Coby Bryant on a corner route for a 41-yard touchdown to put the home team out in front less than four minutes into the game.

But from that point on, the Seahawks held serve in all three phases, quickly bouncing back from a tough first three minutes. Geno Smith completed eight of his first nine passes to set up a short Jason Myers field goal and only a few plays later, linebacker Ernest Jones picked off Murray on a horribly telegraphed pass over the middle, returning it into the red zone for a major momentum-shifting turnover.

On the ensuing snap, Smith made Arizona pay for its mistake, rolling through his progressions before unloading a perfectly placed 19-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a corner route from the slot to put Seattle out in front. Moments later, Bryant made up for his early coverage mishap by jumping a poor throw from Murray for his second interception of the season, setting the table for a one-yard touchdown run by Zach Charbonnet to push the lead to 10.

After weeks of struggling to establish a consistent run game, Charbonnet enjoyed the best half of his young NFL career filling in for injured starter Ken Walker III, rushing 10 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He plunged in from a yard out on a fly sweep late in the first quarter and doubled his scoring total when he followed up a Cardinals field goal by rocketing through a massive crease on a counter trey run for a 51-yard touchdown late inside three minutes to play in the half.

With the offensive line moving the line of scrimmage to create holes for Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh, Smith also turned in a solid half, completing 15 out of 18 pass attempts for 151 yards and his 14th touchdown of the season. Smith-Njigba led all receivers with 70 yards on four receptions, while Charbonnet added 42 yards on four receptions out of the backfield to pace a surprisingly balanced attack.

As for Seattle's defense, coach Mike Macdonald had to be pleased with how his unit responded after giving up a rare explosive pass play for six early. Arizona only converted on two out of five third down opportunities and rushed for just 47 yards in the first two quarters, failing to muster much success after the opening drive.

Keying the strong performance, Tyrice Knight led the team with five tackles and added a pass breakup, while defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins recorded a sack and Derick Hall drew two big holding penalties, including one on the play prior to Jones' interception on 2nd and 19. Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon each added a tackle for loss for Seattle.

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