GLENDALE, Ariz. – For about 50 minutes Thursday night, this looked like another statement-making win for the Seattle Seahawks.
The defense was dominating, holding Arizona to just two field goals through three quarters. And the offense was making just enough plays when it mattered with Sam Darnold again accurate and playing mistake-free.
But then a few of the Seahawks’ mistakes left the door open for Arizona to make an improbable comeback.
And come back the Cardinals did, scoring two touchdowns in the final 5 minutes, 50 seconds to tie the score with 28 seconds left.
But just when you thought this might go down as a horrible Seahawks defeat, it was the Cardinals leaving their own door ajar.
Kicker Chase Ryland’s kickoff following the tying touchdown bounced just short of the landing zone at the 20 and gave the Seahawks the ball at its own 40 with 28 seconds left.
Then Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a fade route for 22 yards to the Arizona 38.
Then Charbonnet took a carry to the 34 with 4 seconds left.
And then Jason Myers – who had missed from 53 minutes earlier – calmly hit from 52 yards as time ran out to give the Seahawks a 23-20 win.
And finally order seemed restored.
The Seahawks outgained Arizona 384-253 and, until the frantic last two drives, appeared on their way to holding another opponent under 17 points.
The Seahawks will take it, improving to 3-1 on the season, extending a franchise-record road winning streak to eight games and improving to 11-1-1 in Arizona since 2013.
The Seahawks led 20-6 before Arizona scored on a 16-yard pass from Kyler Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. with 5:55 to play.
A 36-yard pass from Darnold to Njigba on third-and-6 then set up a 53-yard Myers field goal to ice it. But his kick was ride right with 3:16 left giving Arizona one last chance to pull out a game that for most of the night had seemed Seattle’s.
A third-down pass breakup by Devon Witherspoon left Arizona facing a fourth-and-4 at its own 49 with 3:01 remaining.
Murray then hit Michael Wilson for 5 yards over Josh Jobe.
A Drake Thomas sack forced a third-and-9. But an inside screen to Greg Dortch picked up the yards and moved the ball to the Seattle 30.
Two plays later came another third down – this one of five yards from the Seattle 25 with 1:16 left. Arizona called time and afterward Murray threw to Harrison for 18 yards over Witherspoon to the Arizona 7.
A run went for no gain, leaving just 33 seconds on the clock. And Murray hardly needed all of it, throwing a 7-yard touchdown to running back Emari Demercado.
Arizona went for the PAT and the tie with 28 seconds left, the only time all night the State Farm Stadium crowd really seemed into it. And that wouldn’t last with Seattle quickly driving for the win.
Darnold had another almost flawless first half, completing eight-of-11 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Still, a few Seattle mistakes kept the score close until the end of the half – notably, Coby Bryant fumbling after a 15-yard return of a Murray pass in the first quarter and Kenneth Walker III called for a taunting penalty for tossing the ball at an Arizona player after a 3-yard gain that killed a possible scoring drive in the second.
A quick 90-yard, seven-play drive, though, resulted in a one-yard run by Zach Charbonnet to put Seattle up 14-3 with 1:01 left.
Seattle scored in the first quarter on a 16-yard pass from Darnold to tight end AJ Barner that capped a seven-play, 77-yard drive.
That followed Arizona’s only score of the first half, a 33-yard field goal by Chase Ryland. Arizona got within range of a field goal after recovering a fumble when Seattle safety Bryant had picked off a Murray pass and then Seahawks cornerback Woolen was called for a face mask penalty a few plays later.
The Seahawks caught a break midway through the second quarter when Murray fired to Harrison over the middle on a third-and-11 play from the Seattle 33. Harrison appeared as if he’d have the yardage for a first down as the ball came his way.
But Harrison, the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft who apologized after dropping two passes on Sunday at San Francisco, bobbled the ball right into the hands of Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV. Jones returned it 29 yards to the Arizona 49.
Seattle didn’t score on the drive but the Seahawks got a stop on Arizona’s next possession and then drove for the score that made it 14-3.
Seattle got a Myers field goal on its first possession of the second half to make it 17-3. Arizona got a 57-yard field goal late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 17-6.
The Seahawks appeared on the verge of blowing it open when Charbonnet appeared to score on a 7-yard run on the next drive.
But a holding penalty on Smith-Njigba nullified the play and Seattle had to settle for another Myers field goal and a 20-6 lead with 9:33 to play.
Still, given the way the Seattle defense was playing, that felt like an insurmountable lead for the Cardinals.
It wasn’t but somehow the Seahawks won anyway.