A New NFC West Rivalry: Cardinals vs. Seahawks

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http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/19/a-new-nfc-west-rivalry/

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A New NFC West Rivalry
San Francisco-Seattle is out. Arizona-Seattle is in. And here's why you shouldn't count out the quarterback-light Cardinals against the Seahawks. Plus, the Week 16 spotlight player and 10 things to watch on Sunday
By Peter King

RENTON, Wash. — Remember, oh, about three long months ago, when 49ers-Seahawks was the best rivalry in the NFL?

The Niners are 7-7, oddly out of the playoff hunt, and are 1-5 against Seattle since late in 2012. So, is it really such a great rivalry now, particularly with the upheaval expected in San Francisco after the season?

The way Arizona’s playing, it’s fair to ask whether the Cardinals are going to be the new rival for Seattle in the West.

Let’s check out the regular-season standings in the division since Bruce Arians took over as Cardinals coach prior to the 2013 season:

NFC West................W-L
Seattle.......................23-7
Arizona.....................21-9
San Francisco...........19-11
St. Louis...................13-17

This week, either Ryan Lindley or a significantly knee-hampered Drew Stanton will play quarterback for Arizona (11-3) in the NFC West championship game against visiting Seattle (10-4). Ergo: The Seahawks are going to skate. The Seahawks handled Arizona 19-3 in their first meeting Nov. 23, after all. But look again.

I’m like the rest—I like the Seahawks on Sunday. But the Cardinals defense, as it has all year, is going to have something to say about that. Arizona sacked the slithery Russell Wilson seven times in their first meeting this year (“It should have been 11,” Cards coach Bruce Arians said this week), and as the Seahawks left their indoor practice field late Thursday afternoon, coach Pete Carroll sounded pessimistic about the status of a couple stalwarts who could prevent an 11-sack afternoon in the desert Sunday evening.

“Russell isn’t going to go,” Carroll said of left tackle Russell Okung [chest], and it looked grim for center Max Unger [concussion] too. Neither practiced Wednesday or Thursday. And trusted guard J.R Sweezy missed both days as well, but there is some hope he’ll be able to go Sunday night.

Most likely line combination for Seattle against the marauding Cardinals, who have allowed exactly two more points than the Seahawks this year, from left to right: Alvin Bailey, James Carpenter, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Sweezy, Justin Britt.

“It is what it is,” said Carroll. Then he repeated that. “We really haven’t had our group on the line all season. But look at what Arizona’s had to put up with all year. They had major losses before the season even started, and the injuries they’ve had, week after week … Bruce Arians has done an unbelievable job. And when we’ve played, his group makes it as difficult on us as anybody we play.”

There is no question Russell Wilson will feel the pressure Sunday night. In the first meeting between the teams, Arizona blitzed on 50 percent of passing downs, according to Pro Football Focus. That was with a healthier offensive line for Seattle—and Arizona still got home consistently. And those blitzes don’t always come from linebackers.

This season, safety Deone Bucannon has blitzed on 20 percent of the passing downs he’s played, mostly from a linebacker slot. Cornerback Jarraud Powers has gotten into the act too, blitzing on 8 percent of the passing downs he played.

This is the personality of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles of Arizona, and the reason why Bowles will be a popular interview for teams seeking a head coach in the off-season. He has lost three huge pass-rushing factors due to injury or suspension, and still the Cardinals are among the top five defenses in football, and have been all season.

As Seattle right tackle Justin Britt told me Thursday, “There’s so much stuff they do, and they do it at random times. You have to know every indicator they have. They’re top 5 in turnover ratio, and they’ve got great rushers like Calais Campbell, Matt Shaughnessy, Frostee Rucker. We’ve got to be very smart every play.”

The variable in the Arizona scheme is all the times Bowles puts physical safeties on his front six or seven. He loves to rush safeties. Bowles loves to rush, period. This season, the average NFL team has blitzed on 29.7 percent of all passing downs. Arizona: 39.7 percent.

Maybe line play bores you. Trench play? Zzzzzzz. But this Sunday, it’s going to determine whether Arizona wins the West. If Bowles’ blitzes get home, if the Arizona rush can strip-sack the elusive Wilson two or three times, all of a sudden a game that has a huge quarterback mismatch in Seattle’s favor can change.

And you can bet Bowles is in his meetings telling his players the winner of the NFC West will be the team that hits the quarterback the most Sunday night. With the Seattle offensive line being in flux, and the Arizona pressure packages being so good, the foolish storyline is:Lindley’s playing, so the Cardinals don’t have a prayer. The smart storyline is: Seattle better protect Russell Wilson, or the ‘Hawks could be on the road for the playoffs.

I mentioned to Carroll that this could be a nice preview for him and his team, with the Super Bowl set for Glendale, Ariz., six weeks from Sunday night. “You’re the first person who’s mentioned that,” he said.

Doubt I’ll be the last if the Seahawks can survive the Bowles treatment in this game.
 

Boffo97

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So small wimpy bird against doesn't really exist bird?
 

Athos

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All it's going to take is one pick 6 off shitty Lindley for the Hags to win the game.

I put that as a 50% likelihood honestly.
 

Alan

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"Remember, oh, about three long months ago, when 49ers-Seahawks was the best rivalry in the NFL?" Only in your mind.
"The way Arizona’s playing, it’s fair to ask whether the Cardinals are going to be the new rival for Seattle in the West." Only in your mind does it not already exist.
People who know little about our division shouldn't write stuff like that. I'm disappointed in Peter King. From this I guess he doesn't think we have any rivalries in the division. :rolleyes:
 

Elmgrovegnome

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The good thing about this game could be that both defenses play very hard against each other and the Seahawks are a bit worn out for when the Rams come to town.
 

ZigZagRam

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"Remember, oh, about three long months ago, when 49ers-Seahawks was the best rivalry in the NFL?" Only in your mind.
"The way Arizona’s playing, it’s fair to ask whether the Cardinals are going to be the new rival for Seattle in the West." Only in your mind does it not already exist.
People who know little about our division shouldn't write stuff like that. I'm disappointed in Peter King. From this I guess he doesn't think we have any rivalries in the division. :rolleyes:

Someone on the Seahawks (maybe Sherman, could've been Thomas) was talking about the rivalry with the 49ers and said that they worried more about facing the Rams.

We have the respect of the division. Now it's time to earn the hatred.
 

Alan

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ZigZagRam wnting to take it to the next level:
Someone on the Seahawks (maybe Sherman, could've been Thomas) was talking about the rivalry with the 49ers and said that they worried more about facing the Rams.

We have the respect of the division. Now it's time to earn the hatred.
I'm not sure that King even knows what a rivalry is. It's not based on how good either team is at the time. Sometimes, as a fan, if that's the only game you win it's a pretty good year for your team. Sometimes that's all you have. Great rivalries grow from small acorns into giant oak trees. So understand and appreciate your your progression to hate comment. (y) How I feel about the Shehags has taken just such a course.
 

ZigZagRam

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I'm not sure that King even knows what a rivalry is. It's not based on how good either team is at the time. Sometimes, as a fan, if that's the only game you win it's a pretty good year for your team. Sometimes that's all you have. Great rivalries grow from small acorns into giant oak trees. So understand and appreciate your your progression to hate comment. (y) How I feel about the Shehags has taken just such a course.

I really don't feel a hatred right now for our division because we've been so bad for so long. I don't feel like there's a rivalry because we've been in the basement for so many years. Once I feel like these teams are actually taking something from us (i.e. playoffs) I'll quickly remember what a rivalry feels like. I hope that fire starts burning next year, and I feel like it will.
 

Alan

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ZigZagRam thinking rivalry is about competitiveness:
I really don't feel a hatred right now for our division because we've been so bad for so long. I don't feel like there's a rivalry because we've been in the basement for so many years. Once I feel like these teams are actually taking something from us (i.e. playoffs) I'll quickly remember what a rivalry feels like. I hope that fire starts burning next year, and I feel like it will.
So it must be extra bad for you when your team isn't any good. For me it's all about history.

Every year the Cowgirls kicked out ass. That year the Cards shut out the Cowgirls was a fantastic year for me. We only finished 8-5-1 and the Cowgirls finished above us but I didn't care. We not only beat the Cards, we humiliated them. I was on cloud nine the rest of the year. :banana:
 

PARAM

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I think King got it almost right. Two months ago it was Seattle / S.F.
Now it's Seattle / Arizona
What it's coming down to is any NFC West matchup is going to be a rivalry game. For me the niners will always be the most hated. But it's hard not to hate the Seahawks and Cardinals too. Can't wait for those 6 rivalry games next year!!!
 

Jumava1968

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I'll bet if someone were to poll all the players from Az,Sea,and Sf who they hate to play more our Rams would be on top.I agree with ZigZagRam we do have the respect of these teams now we need beat them down so they can learn to hate us.
 

DaveFan'51

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I not sure if this would work out, but I was hoping that Ariz. would Beat the 'Hags and then we could knock them out of the play-offs!?! Is that possible?
 

Mojo Ram

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Pretty messed up point of my life when I'm rooting for Seattle in ANY capacity.

But here we are...
There's a line AZ fans are starting to spread around town here.
"Ride the Fourth string to the ring..." or something desperate and stupid like that.
 

Mojo Ram

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I not sure if this would work out, but I was hoping that Ariz. would Beat the 'Hags and then we could knock them out of the play-offs!?! Is that possible?
I'm sure there's a scenario for that. Probably involves Detroit, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Dallas imploding. I don't see it happening, and i'm on a bit of a mission right now anyway...one that involves Arizona never winning another game while Arians is on the sidelines.
 

Boffo97

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So small wimpy bird against doesn't really exist bird?
Of course, it does get worse than "doesn't really exist" bird. My alma mater decided to change mascots since "Crusader" was no longer PC, and decided they liked having "Sea" in the name since the school was on the coast. They then decide to have a Lion as our symbol, and thus make a lion out of sea waves in our school colors.

Thus, we are now... the Sea Lions. Even though they had to hear at some point that a Sea Lion was a real and far less than magnificent looking thing.