Cardinals-Seahawks rewind: Arizona loses 5th straight home game in regular season finale

The Cardinals (11-6) lost their final regular season game at home, 38-30, to the Seattle Seahawks (7-10). Arizona has split their two NFC West division games with Seattle this season.

The Cardinals lost their fifth consecutive home game since Oct. 28, which was their first loss of the season.

The final Cardinals’ scoring play was when kicker Matt Prater made his third field goal for 36 yards at 1:17 remaining in the game.

The Cardinals will enter the NFC playoffs as a fifth seed.

Seahawks RB Penny breaks loose for 62-yard TD run

Rashaad Penny might have stabbed the Cardinals' hopes for a comeback drive with his 62-yard dagger.

The Seahawks offensive line parted the A-gap open for him in the Red Sea defense, and the running back couldn't be stopped en route to the middle of the end zone.

That scoring play increased the Seahawks' lead to 38-27.

Penny's got a game-high 173 yards on 21 carries.

Prater's FG cuts Seahawks' lead

Matt Prater kicked in his second good field goal for 30 yards at 6:14 left to play.

That cut Seattle's lead to 31-27.

Injuries piling up for Cardinals, Seahawks

The Cardinals will have to continue their running game with their top rusher James Conner and backup Jonathan Ward.

Conner left the game with a rib injury after he ran up the middle for 19 yards on third-and-18 from Arizona's own 13 at 11:56 in the fourth quarter.

Ward left with a knee injury shortly thereafter.

Then Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs had to be carted off the field at 9:22 during that same Cardinals possession.

Seahawks get momentum

The Seahawks answered the Cardinals again with their third touchdown to tie the score, 24-24, at 1:57 left in the third quarter.

Russell Wilson threw deep left to Freddie Swain for 25 yards, and the extra point was good.

The Cardinals offensive and special teams looked disoriented in their subsequent possession.

Kyler Murray was sacked twice for losses of 11 and 12 by nose tackle Poona Ford and defensive end Kerry Hyder on first-and-10 at Arizona's own 25, and then third-and-13 at the 22, respectively.

Things got worse when punter Andy Lee fumbled a snap on fourth-and-25 from the 10, recovered the ball at the 2, ran it to the 7, and fumbled it again after he was hit by Seattle's gunner/running back Travis Homer, and the ball was recovered by Seattle's Cody Thompson.

That Cardinals chaos and Seattle's Rashaad Penny's five-yard run on first down closed the third quarter. That enabled Seattle's field position for Russell Wilson to score his first rushing TD on third-and-goal from the 4, two plays later at 13:15 left to play.

The extra point was good. Seattle leads, 31-24.

Cardinals emerge with firepower

The Cardinals offense came with some firepower in the first drive of the second half to even the score with Seattle, 17-17.

Kyler Murray completed five passes in a chunk plays of at least eight yards: the first to wideout Antoine Wesley for nine; Murray's second to running back James Conner for eight; Murray's longest pass of the day to WR Christian Kirk for 35 yards; the fourth to Zach Ertz for 14; and the last for 20 to James Conner, who scored as he caught it on the left side and did a sideway's flip into the end zone.

Then the Cardinals defense did its part to take back the lead for the third time. On third-and-7 from Seattle's 28 at 10:12, safety Jalen Thompson intercepted Russell Wilson's targeted short right pass to RB Travis Homer at the 34.

Thompson returned down the left flat where officials ruled he stepped out of bounds at the 1.

Conner scored his second TD of the day two plays later at 9:25 left in the third. Before Sunday, Conner hadn't scored a TD since his two in the Cardinals' home loss to the L.A. Rams on Dec. 13.

Cardinals are up, 24-17.

Cardinals offense not clicking in 1st half

The Cardinals' home woes are seemingly creeping back in again.

Theirs offense ended its underwhelming first-half performance to boos from the crowd as they exited the field with 30 seconds left.

That happened after Kyler Murray was sacked twice in its final drive of the half. Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford tackled him for a eight-yard loss on first-and-10 from Arizona's own 25. The second sack for a 12-yard loss by defensive end Carlos Dunlap II was with 43 seconds left on first-and-10 from the Cardinals 38.

The Cardinals haven't been the same since their fast start with Chandler Jones' strip sacked Russell Wilson, and Zach Allen picked up the loose ball to score their only TD so far.

The Seahawks have been dominating the Cardinals in most raw statistical categories. That includes 162 passing yards to Arizona's 51, 67 rushing yards to Arizona's 38, resulting in 6.7 yards per play to the Cardinals' meager 2.9.

The Seahawks have 11 first downs, Arizona has 7. Seattle's been moving the sticks on third down at 6-of-8 tires, and the Cardinals are 4-of-9.

Russell Wilson was 10-of-18 for 171 yards. and Kyler Murray was 13-of-17 for 51.

Score is 17-10. Cardinals get the ball to open the second half.

Seahawks' FG extends lead

The Seahawks extended their lead on Jason Myers' 38-yard field goal, his first, at 1:21 left in the first half.

That FG pushed Seattle ahead to 17-10 over the Cardinals.

Seahawks' 2nd TD takes lead

This Cardinals-Seahawks matchup is shaping up as a dogfight rivalry game as expected.

The Seahawks scored their second touchdown within their first four drives midway through the second quarter. The scoring play occurred at 7:41 when Russell Wilson connected with Tyler Lockett for their second TD on a short 5-yard pass right on first-and-goal.

That play ended Seattle's 10-play, 75-yard drive, and the Seahawks took the lead for the first time. The extra point was good, and Cardinals trail them, 14-10.

Cardinals regain lead on Prater's FG

Arizona is in the lead again at 10-7 over the Seahawks after Matt Prater made a 41-yard field goal at 11:44 in the second period.

That was his first of the game, which completed the Cardinals' second possession totaling 19 plays and 66 yards.

Cardinals' Green reaches career milestone

A.J. Green caught his 700th career pass on a 5-yard completion at 3:24 in the opening period. Entering this game, Green needed just one to reach that plateau.

He joins his teammate DeAndre Hopkins, embattled wideout Antonio Brown, and Julio Jones as the only active players with 700-plus receptions and 10,000-plus receiving yards.

Green caught another pass from Kyler Murray on a deep pass right earlier in the quarter on third-and-8 from Arizona's own 33, which would've reached his milestone. But Green was ruled for an offensive pass interference penalty, which waved that 26-yard play off.

Cardinals and Seahawks remain tied at the end of the first quarter, 7-7.

Cardinals, Seahawks trade TDs early

It didn't take more than two plays for the Cardinals defense to score in the opening period.

Chandler Jones strip sacked Russell Wilson on second-and-10 from the Seahawks' own 25 for a loss of nine at the 14:48 mark. Cardinals defensive end Zach Allen picked up the loose ball for and ran it in for a touchdown.

That was Allen's third fumble recover and first TD this season, and Jones has 10.5 sacks. The extra point was good.

Seattle struck back quickly when Russell Wilson threw a 43-yard laser to Tyler Lockett, who caught it at the 12 and ran it into the end zone's right corner on third-and-2 at 12:26.

The extra point was good, score's tied, 7-7.

Conner playing, Cardinals-Seahawks inactive players

James Conner is returning for the Cardinals after missing their past two games from his heel injury.

The Cardinals' Pro Bowl-bound top rusher and touchdown scorer hurt his heel during their road loss to the Detroit Lions on Dec. 19. Conner was a game-time decision for the third consecutive week entering Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

He was seen in pregame warm-ups in his game pants doing drills on the field, unlike last week when he was in track pants testing his foot before their game at Dallas Cowboys.

Conner will manage most of Arizona's running game load with some help from backup RBs Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin while their other starting Chase Edmonds is out (ribs/toes).

Rookie wideout Rondale Moore is out for the third straight game from his ankle injury. In addition to Moore, the other Cardinals inactive players against Seattle are tight end Demetrius Harris, quarterback Trace McSorley, rookie cornerback Marco Wilson, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, and offensive lineman Josh Miles.

Seahawks inactives as linebacker Bobby Wagner, CB John Reid, guard Gabe Jackson, TE Will Dissly, and QB Jacob Eason.

Other Cardinals-Seahawks storylines:

• NFL Week 18 odds: Money lines, point spreads, over/unders for NFL games

• NFC West title still up for grabs

• NFL playoff scenarios: What is at stake in Week 18?

• Cardinals ready for Wilson, Seahawks' "rolling' offense

• Don't be surprised if Cardinals turn to backup RBs Ward and Benjamin Sunday vs. Seahawks

• Cardinals' special teams units giving team a jolt of energy

• Kyler Murray has 'different' mentality winning in native Dallas than Cardinals home games

• Cardinals' J.J. Watt designated to return from injured reserve

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals-Seahawks rewind: Arizona loses regular season finale