Takeaways from Seattle Seahawks 30-18 win over Cardinals

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 08: Coby Bryant #8 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after making an interception in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Norm Hall / Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks are in the drivers' seat in the NFC West playoff race after a 30-18 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

Seattle's beleaguered rushing attack broke out for its biggest performance of the season, even with Ken Walker III out of the lineup due to calf and ankle injuries. Zach Charbonnet delivered a career-high 134 rushing yards with two touchdowns to lead the way as the Seahawks rushed for a season-high 176 yards.

Interceptions from Ernest Jones IV and Coby Bryant set up quick strike touchdowns and a big early lead that the Cardinals were unable to overcome.

The victory gives the Seahawks a commanding lead over Arizona in the NFC West race while the Los Angeles Rams remain a game behind.

In many ways, it was Seattle's best all-around performance of the season. Good running game and solid through the air as well. Two turnovers forced and none allowed, and a clean day on special teams after last week's debacle in New York against the Jets.

As the calendar turns to December, the Seahawks are on a four-game winning streak and playing their best football yet.

Here are the takeaways from the victory over the Cardinals:

– Running game breaks out.

Entering the week as the 28th-ranked rushing offense in the league, facing the 13th-ranked rush defense, and being without top running back Ken Walker III, it didn't seem like it would be the day the rushing attack took over for the Seahawks.

But head coach Mike Macdonald had said in recent weeks he believed the running game was making progress, even if the results hadn't truly shown yet. Sunday's effort was the breakout performance they've been striving to find.

"We had a great plan," Macdonald said. "Hats off to the offensive line, I thought they blocked their tails off. I think what you're seeing is just continual progress on all of our processes and our guys getting on the same page. This is something that we need to build off of moving forward, but the guys did a great job."

Charbonnet delivered 193 yards from scrimmage on the day, with 134 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and seven catches for 59 yards out of the backfield. Kenny McIntosh also added 38 yards on seven carries in his heaviest workload as a complimentary back in two seasons with Seattle.

"I think everyone was just on point. We really dialed into details this week. Receivers, tight ends, linemen especially, they just made it easy for me. We really just honed in and dove into the details and executed," Charbonnet said.

Macdonald, Charbonnet, and quarterback Geno Smith each credited the play of the offensive line with helping deliver a big performance on the ground. In addition to the running game success, Smith wasn't sacked and was hit just twice.

"I thought they played phenomenal. The way they played, we can win every game we play, I think our offensive line is only getting better," Smith said. "… They've got to keep it up. They set the standard, so they've got to keep it up."

The Seahawks hadn't had a run of at least 20 yards in well over a month. Ken Walker III's 20-yard touchdown run in Atlanta in mid-October was the last instance for Seattle before Charbonnet's 22-yard run late in the first quarter. Charbonnet then sprung free for a 51-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that gave the Seahawks a 24-10 lead.

The touchdown also seemingly highlighted why Sataoa Laumea has been the choice at right guard the last two weeks. Laumea and right tackle Abe Lucas both pulled on the way to help open a hole for Charbonnet to race into the secondary.

"I have been saying for weeks that we're working on this thing. We're working through all the processes by no stretch of the imagination have we made it, but it's great to get a breakthrough on productivity on how we want to play," Macdonald said.

Per ESPN Research via Brady Henderson, Zach Charbonnet had 91 rushing yards after contact vs. Arizona, the most by a player in a game this season.

The Seahawks hadn't reached 100 yards rushing as a team in four of their last five games. The 121 yards Seattle had in the first half alone was more than all but two games all year: 146 vs. Denver and 133 at Detroit. It was also the first 100-yard game of Charbonnet's career and just the second by a Seattle running back all season, as Walker had 103 yards on 20 carries against Denver in Week 1.

The potential for the Seahawks season overall can be significantly elevated if a consistent rushing attack can successfully develop down the stretch. Too much of the offense has been reliant on the passing game to shine on a weekly basis. If some of the pressure can be alleviated, the Seahawks look far more dangerous as a team.

"You’ve got to run the ball if you want to be a great offense. That’s something we emphasize and we executed it today," Smith-Njigba said.

– Ernest Jones IV, Coby Bryant interceptions led directly to Seattle touchdowns.

After the opening drive of the game for the Seattle offense stalled out and settled for only a field goal, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and safety Coby Bryant each came up with interceptions to tee the offense back up for a pair of scores.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray was picked off by Jones on a ball thrown directly to the Seattle linebacker just two plays after the field goal. The turnover immediately led to point as Smith connected with Smith-Njigba for a 19-yard touchdown on the very next play.

"Dropped in my hook (zone) and as soon as I turned around and like looked for the ball, it was there and I was like ‘there’s no way,'" a surprised Jones said. "It kind of caught me off guard, but I'm glad I caught it this time instead of dropping it like I did in the Rams game."

And just two plays after that, Bryant picked off Murray for the second time in three weeks. Bryant undercut a deep pass to the sideline intended for Zay Jones for his third interception of the season.

Another 19-yard pass to Smith-Njigba, followed up by Charbonnet's 22-yard gain around the end led to a 1-yard dive into the end zone by Charbonnet for a 17-7 Seahawks lead late in the first quarter.

"The turnover margin is huge and to do it in positive territory for our offense. What a great play by Jaxon and Geno on the sudden-change touchdown. We needed it. We had a slow start on defense and we made it right on defense to be able to affect the ball and put our offense in position to go get a couple scores," Macdonald said.

Macdonald said Bryant's interception came on a busted coverage by the defense. Whatever the breakdown was, both Jones and Julian Love ended up covering tight end Trey McBride with no one personally responsible for Jones on the crosser. Bryant saw the issue and jumped onto Jones himself to cover up the error with Derick Hall's pressure of Murray helping lead to the pick.

"He saved our tail on that one," Macdonald said. "We had a coverage bust actually on that one, so having a post safety that can erase some things is huge. You need those guys, so he's playing at a high level right now and we're communicating really well and really happy for Coby because he's worked extremely hard to prepare himself and really master what we're asking him to do. He's doing a great job."

"That's what I'm in the middle of the field for," Bryant added. "To help whatever it is if I see it. Nothing else behind me, just go get it so that's what I did."

Seattle's defense has forced 11 turnovers over the last seven games they've played after managing just one in five weeks. They held the Cardinals to just 4-of-12 on third downs, and limited them to just 10 points after they successfully drove for a touchdown on the opening drive.

The defense overall remains on a roll, allowing just 15.5 points a game in four games played since the bye week. Arizona managed just 24 points total in two games against Seattle in the last three weeks.

– Victory critical to keep Seahawks atop NFC West playoff chase.

As it currently stands, the NFC West only has one team in the playoff picture – the Seahawks.

While it is possible that the division could get a second participant into the playoff party as a Wild Card, the most likely scenario is only the division winner makes the postseason.

Per NFL Next Gen Stats, the playoff probability for the Seahawks had a 50 percent swing based on the result of Sunday's game in Arizona. Heading into the game, the Seahawks had a 48 percent chance of making the playoffs. With a win, that chance jumps to 76 percent. If Seattle had lost, the odds would have dropped to just 26 percent.

That massive shift is due to Seattle now fully owning the playoff tiebreaker over Arizona with their head-to-head series sweep, which effectively moved the Seahawks three games clear of the Cardinals in the standings. They also remain two games clear of the San Francisco 49ers with a strong chance of winning the tiebreaker there as well.

"We been living in the 'death zone,'" Jones said. "We've been living in that for the last four games. Each game is a playoff game in our eyes. We've been in the ‘playoffs’ four or five weeks now just continuing to win these games and each game is a new game for us.

The team remaining a pest to Seattle is the Los Angeles Rams, who sit a game behind the Seahawks in the standings after their victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Rams beat Seattle earlier this season and currently hold a head-to-head tiebreak over the Seahawks due to that result. The two teams are scheduled to meet again the final week of the season in Los Angeles in a game that could be a de facto NFC West Championship Game for a lone playoff berth.

The Seahawks aren't guaranteed anything yet, but they are leading the pack with everything in their control with four weeks left in the regular season.

"When guys are saying we're in playoff mode, that's every single game," Smith said. "Similar to what coach (Pete) Carroll used to talk about. Every game's a championship game, and if you really take that approach then when you get to the big game it won't feel different. I think we're developing it as a team, and I think the mindset is what's really setting us apart right now."