Cardinals (6-3) at Seahawks (6-3)
Thursday, 8:20 ET, Century
Link Field, Seattle
TV: Fox/NFL Network/Amazon Danny Sheridan’s line: Seahawks by 3 1⁄
2
Cardinals’ keys to victory: Arizona, which is looking to sweep the season series against the Seahawks, enters in a three-way tie atop the NFC West with Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams. Finding a way to stop QB Russell Wilson will again be a top priority. While Wilson threw for three touchdowns in the first matchup, the Cardinals also intercepted him three times. They will rely on their own quarterback, Kyler Murray, who outplayed Wilson in their first meeting.
Seahawks’ keys to victory: Seattle has been without running backs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde for its last three matchups and desperately needs them in this quick turnaround from Sunday. Seattle will see the return of a number of defensive players who have also been battling injuries. But to get past Arizona, the Seahawks will need a complete effort, namely the offensive line keeping Wilson standing and the defense putting pressure on Murray.
Matchup to watch: Cardinals’ Murray vs. Seahawks’ defense. The Seahawks have had some of the worst defensive performances of the Pete Carroll era this season. However, the struggles could be changing with safety Jamal Adams back in action after his long battle with a groin injury. Adams had two sacks, two tackles for loss and a QB hit in Week 10 against the Rams but containing Murray will be no easy task.
Who wins? Carroll and his Seahawks rarely lose in prime-time games and Adams should help make the difference in this one. Seahawks 37-29