5 Storylines to Watch in Seahawks' Week 14 Game vs. Cardinals

Now riding a three-game win streak, the Seattle Seahawks are entering must-win territory against the Arizona Cardinals on the road.

Nov 24, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Riding a three-game win streak for the second time this season, the Seattle Seahawks are hoping to solidify their advantage in the NFC West against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Seattle (7-5, 2-2 NFC West) keeps winning after the bye, defeating the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Cardinals in their last three games. The win streak has positioned the Seahawks with a one-game lead in the division.

Arizona (6-6, 2-1 NFC West) can re-gain first place with a win — earning a tiebreaker based on a better record in division games. The Cardinals have lost two straight entering Week 14.

The Seahawks and Cardinals kick off at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday at State Farm Stadium. Here are five storylines to watch in Seattle’s critical in-division game against Arizona.

1. Is the run game better, worse, or the same without Kenneth Walker III?

Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Thursday that Seattle’s Week 13 win over the New York Jets was “probably our best” performance running the ball between the tackles. But that was with running back Kenneth Walker III healthy and still receiving over 76 percent of the carries. Walker, however, has been ruled out of the game against the Cardinals.

Even though Walker is the lead back, Zach Charbonnet has been more efficient with his opportunities over the past two weeks. Charbonnet will now assume the lead role after carrying the ball 10 times for 50 yards over Seattle’s last two games.

Walker, on the other hand, has been fed plenty but has been unable to put together a quality game since early in the season. With poor run blocking up front, he hasn’t surpassed four yards per carry since Week 7. Walker has had to work for every yard this season and is currently tied for the league lead with 58 missed tackles forced, per Pro Football Focus.

The Cardinals won’t have to account for Walker’s elusiveness, but they will have to try and stop Charbonnet’s downhill, bruising rushing style.

2. Does Seattle’s defense replicate the first matchup?

The defense has been winning football games for the Seahawks over their last three games. With two defensive touchdowns and none of the team’s last three opponents able to surpass 300 total yards of offense, the unit has turned a corner.

In the Week 12 matchup against the Cardinals, Seattle kept Arizona out of the end zone and created six points via a pick-six by safety Coby Bryant. Running back James Conner also gained just eight yards on seven carries — heavily limiting the Cardinals’ offense.

Quarterback Kyler Murray threw for nearly 300 yards, but Arizona had just one drive spanning 10 or more plays. The Cardinals punted six times. Heading into that game, Arizona’s offense had been red-hot and was shut down. Seattle has to emulate that Week 12 performance to keep its win streak alive.

3. Uchenna Nwosu has to stay healthy.

Edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu is making his return for the second time this season. Nwosu has now missed 22 of Seattle’s last 29 games dating back to the beginning of the 2023 season. He’s now dealt with a torn pectoral muscle, an MCL strain and a torn quad that has led to those absences.

“It’s been tough. Pretty much my whole career I've dealt with little injuries there, but nothing that's kept me out for this long,” Nwosu said on Thursday. “Starting from last year, with the pec injury, I’m just trying to refigure out myself, what I need to do better. I feel like it’s really things that have kind of been out of my control, especially with the knee injury that I had.”

Before his Week 5 quad tear, Nwosu logged 20 defensive snaps and finished with three tackles. The Seahawks’ edge rusher group is already among the best in the league, and Nwosu being added to a group that features Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones will only make it more effective.

Nwosu still has two years remaining of the three-year, $45 million extension he signed before last season. He will be 30 years old when that contract expires.

4. How much does Kyler Murray impact the game with his legs?

Nov 24, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Murray hardly gashed Seattle with his rushing threat in Week 12, but that doesn’t mean his ability is neutralized against this defense. Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Murray rushed seven times for 48 yards. He has 55 carries for 428 yards and four scores this season, which ranks fourth among quarterbacks this season.

Much of Murray’s rushing production comes on scrambles, exposing lanes in the pass rush and quickly churning yards downfield. The Seahawks held him in check two weeks ago (2 carries, 9 yards), and they will need to do so again in this game.

5. This is a must-win game for Seattle.

Seattle’s chances to make the playoffs vary drastically depending on the outcome of this game, per NFL.com’s probability models. The Seahawks currently have a 48 percent chance to make the postseason heading into Week 14, and a win skyrockets their chances to 76 percent. A loss makes that plummet to 26 percent.

From the Cardinals' perspective, they currently have a 40 percent chance to make the playoffs. A win increases it to 63 percent while a loss sends Arizona down to a feeble 12 percent chance to be in the postseason.

These types of numbers aren’t wholly predictive, but the path to playing into mid-January starts with this game. Seattle has a tough schedule the rest of the way, so it needs this win if it wants to secure essentially a three-game lead in the NFC West.

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