With the NFC playoff picture locked up, there is still a little bit of room for movement. Should the Panthers lose their next game and the Cardinals beat Seattle, we’d be looking a new king of the conference in Arizona. Meanwhile, win or lose, and Seattle is into the post season with a top or bottom wild card spot.
Owning any playoff position in the NFC after the close of 2015 though, is pretty much like holding a death card. [sc:NFL250 ]You’ll have to play either powerhouse Arizona or powerhouse Carolina. Two teams that have been dominant all year long awaiting their shot at the title. All signs point to a Carolina-Arizona NFC conclusion.
What the Hawks have in their favor this week, is that the Cards have already lost to a divisional opponent (the same Rams team that beat Seattle last weekend) and they only lost by a touchdown in November to Palmer and the Birds. So an upset in Week 17 is completely doable, if the right Seattle team shows up.
Read ahead for the rest of this all-NFC West preview or head here for a look at the rest of our NFL Week 17 Previews.
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Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals Preview
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, AZ
When: Sunday, January 3, 4:25 PM ET
Line: Seattle Seahawks (+4.5) vs. Arizona Cardinals (-4.5) – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Seattle Seahawks (9-6)
For a team that was nearly out of the conversation a little over a month ago, the Seattle Seahawks have done an excellent job of turning things around. The team has battled through injuries to marquee players and questionable calls to lock themselves into a playoff spot come January. The only thing that they can’t seem to do at the moment, is beat divisional rivals who aren’t from California. As mentioned earlier, they’re already 0-1 against Arizona and they went 0-2 against St. Louis. They did take out San Francisco on both occasions, but who are we kidding, nobody deserves a medal for beating the Niners this year.
What Seattle has going for them right now is three things. First up, they want this win for a huge momentum push into the postseason. Secondly, they can use this game as an opportunity to learn the Cards playbook a bit before potentially facing them in the postseason. And thirdly (and finally), the Hawks offense has been on fire as of late.
Russell Wilson has thrown ten touchdowns in his last three games with only one pick to his name in that span. Also, over the past three games, Doug Baldwin has come down with six of those touchdown passes. The Hawks didn’t show up last week – we know that. However, this could be a pretty solid game in an otherwise meaningless week for both the Hawks and Cardinals.
Betting on the Arizona Cardinals (13-2)
Betting on Arizona has been a pretty safe play all season long. Especially with them coming off a massive 38-8 romping of Green Bay last weekend, you’d have to think laying some dough down on the Cards would be the safest play once again. Well hold on a second. Let me learn you something.
Last season the Arizona Cardinals were decimated in the playoffs because their fearless (and oft-injured) QB was out of action. Carson Palmer left last season in early November with a torn ACL and the Cards went on to watch the majority of the NFL playoffs on TV.
This team is nothing without Palmer, and with him nursing a finger injury just one week out from the postseason, you have to wonder how much pressure Bruce Arians will put on Carson in this one. Should he play and not sit out, watch for the Cardinals offense to take it fairly easy and rely on the run. With that said though, the Cardinals run game has been sensational as of late. Newcomer David Johnson has put up four touchdowns in his last two games and was able to tally up 187 yards two weeks ago in Philadelphia.
All signs seem to be pointing in the Cardinals direction in this one. The Hawks have surprised time and time again though. Let’s see what they can do under the desert sun.
Writer’s Prediction:
Very tough call. If Palmer plays, I like Arizona. If Palmer sits, Seattle ATS…but again Arizona outright.
