Seattle, WA
Game Recap: Seahawks Dominate Cardinals, Seize NFC West Lead
A dominant defensive performance led by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Devon Witherspoon ended the Arizona Cardinals’ four-game win streak in a 16-6 Seattle Seahawks victory on Sunday at Lumen Field.
Seattle (6-5, 2-2 NFC West) took over first place in the division just two weeks after sitting in last coming out of their Week 10 bye. Arizona (6-5, 2-1 NFC West) was held to a season-low six points after averaging 26.3 points per game over their last four games.
The Seahawks played arguably their most complete defensive game of the season, with standout performances across the board. Williams, Bryant and Witherspoon, however, were the catalysts.
Williams posted his best game as a Seahawk, logging six tackles, three tackles for loss, one batted pass, four quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks. Bryant had six tackles and a key pick-six that helped originally give Seattle a two-score lead in the third quarter. Witherspoon forced that errant throw via pressure on Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and finished with five total tackles.
In consecutive weeks, the Seahawks held the San Francisco 49ers and Cardinals — both divisional opponents — to under 300 total yards. Though the offense wasn’t as productive as in recent weeks, the defense picked up the slack.
Seattle’s offense struggled to generate consistent offense in the first half. The Seahawks punted on their first four drives, allowing three sacks of Smith and picking up just 72 total yards during those possessions.
But the defense kept the Cardinals in check, forcing Arizona to punt on four of their first five drives. Nothing came easy for Arizona’s ground game, which entered the contest as one of the league’s top rushing attacks.
As a result, the Cardinals leaned on Murray’s arm in the first half. That brought some chunk plays, but also inconsistency with Seattle’s pass rush looking as good as it has all season. Murray was sacked three times in the first half and completed 10 of 17 passes for 107 yards (24-of-37 passing for 285 yards and an interception in the game).
The Seahawks, trailing 3-0, finally ripped off a chunk play just before the two-minute warning on a tunnel screen to Smith-Njigba, who caught the ball just behind the line of scrimmage and ran for a 46-yard gain to Arizona’s 4-yard line.
Smith-Njigba (team-high six catches for 77 yards) finished off the drive two plays later via a 3-yard touchdown pass from Smith, giving Seattle its first lead of the game, 7-3. That was also Seattle’s lead at halftime.
The defense continued to dominate for the Seahawks in the third quarter. Arizona, on its first drive of the second half, was forced into a 4th and 1 from Seattle’s 40-yard line.
Murray faked a handoff and rolled out to his right with pressure from Witherspoon. Forced into a bad throw, Murray tossed the ball to the waiting arms of safety Bryant, who returned it 69 yards for a touchdown down the left sideline — paying homage to former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch with a groin grab as he jumped backward into the end zone.
The Seahawks continued making life hard for Murray on Arizona’s next drive. Williams kept dominating, generating two negative plays for the Cardinals which included Seattle’s fourth sack of Murray on the day. It finished with five sacks in the game.
Seattle then mounted its longest offensive drive of the day to that point via 11 plays. But Smith’s 12th interception of the season ended what could have been a possession that nearly put the game away.
Rolling out to his right, Smith had a rush lane ahead of him and, instead of staying that course, he tried to rifle a pass into wide receiver Tyler Lockett in the end zone. Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams plucked it out of the air to get the ball back for Arizona at their own 20-yard line.
Murray and the Cardinals put together their own long drive in response. Eleven plays and 76 yards later, Arizona was forced to kick a short field goal after Seattle’s defense made a goal line stand. However, on a third-down rush that fell short of the goal line, Murray was shaken up and evaluated in the medical tent.
Now leading 13-6 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game, Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb opted to keep throwing the football. That resulted in a near-second interception thrown by Smith off a pass that went off Walker’s hands. The call was overturned, however, as Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White couldn’t get his hands under the football.
Seattle converted three critical third downs on that drive alone as they drove just 49 yards in 12 plays to churn eight minutes off the clock. It was enough to get inside Jason Myers’ range, though, and the Seahawks kicker made it a two-score game, 16-6, with 1:56 left on a 50-yard field goal.
With little time left to operate and Murray back in the field, the Cardinals were forced to try a 47-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining. Even if Ryland converted, Arizona’s chance of recovering an onside kick and scoring a touchdown was slim. He missed, and Smith kneeled out the victory for Seattle, finishing the game 22-of-31 passing for 254 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Cardinals entered the game averaging the fifth-most rushing yards per game (149.4). Against that threat, the Seahawks held the Cardinals to just 49 yards on the ground — a season-best for Seattle.
Arizona’s lead backs James Conner and Trey Benson rushed for just 26 yards on 11 carries. For the fourth-straight game since joining the Seahawks via trade, inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV totaled double-digit tackles (10) and rookie fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight added nine tackles in addition to his first NFL sack.
Seattle’s run defense was a liability through eight games, giving up an average of 148.4 rush yards per game. They’ve allowed an average of 82.3 yards on the ground in the last three games.
After winning their first two games at home this season, the Seahawks came into Week 12 on a four-game home skid. The win over the Cardinals was Seattle’s first win at Lumen Field since Sept. 22.
The Seahawks have just two games this season where they haven’t allowed a touchdown, and both have now been in home games (24-3 Week 3 win vs. Miami Dolphins).
The Seahawks were without power at the VMAC, their team practice facility, for 2.5 days after a major storm hit the Seattle region on Tuesday night. They were without hot water and lights in their locker room in addition to other limitations around the building.
That forced the team to adjust its preparation for the Week 12 game against Arizona. Getting out of an odd week with a victory is a win in itself for the team.
Seattle travels to face the New York Jets (3-8) at 10 a.m. PST in a Week 13 road game at MetLife Stadium. The Seahawks are riding a two-game winning streak for the first time since Week 2.
The Jets have lost seven of their last eight games and enjoyed a bye in Week 12. New York lost 31-6 to Arizona in Week 10 while the Seahawks were on their bye.
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 17: Hannah Murphy #83 of the Seattle Torrent tends net against the Ottawa Charge during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on December 17, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Julia Gosling scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, and Hannah Murphy made 37 saves as the Seattle Torrent beat the Montréal Victoire 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Gosling broke the 1-1 tie just 3:26 into the final period on a questionable goal that was upheld after review. Murphy then helped Seattle survive a late Victoire power play chance to close out the win.
With an extra skater on the ice with a delayed penalty call set to go against the Victoire for a tripping infraction, the puck leaked into the offensive zone onto the stick of Seattle captain Hilary Knight. Gosling was left unmarked across the crease and fired a one-timer that beat goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens for the go-ahead goal.
However, replays appeared to show Marie-Philip Poulin touch the puck for Montréal right as Knight won the battle for the puck. It was also close to having Knight offsides on the play as well, but the goal stood after replay review.
A penalty on Megan Carter for holding with 2:43 left to play gave the Victoire a prime chance to tie as Montréal went six-on-four with their net empty. Murphy made four saves on the power play – including a save against each member of the Victoire’s top line – as Seattle closed out the victory.
The Torrent have earned all three of their wins with Murphy in goal.
Seattle controlled play through most of the opening period, but the Victoire still managed to strike first. Despite trailing 12-8 in shots in the first, Montreal’s top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Abby Roque combined to give the Victoire a 1-0 lead.
A nice passing play from Poulin and Stacey set up a half slap shot from atop the left circle that beat the glove of Murphy to grab the advantage with just 1:03 left in the period.
The second period played out in the opposite way to the first, with the Victoire creating more offensive chances but the Torrent finding a goal to tie.
A two-on-one rush for Seattle caught Kati Tabin in a pickle. Gosling’s shot rebounded hard off the pads of Desbiens as Alex Carpenter cleaned up the loose puck to tie it at 1-1.
Meanwhile, Murphy was terrific in goal for Seattle. She made 15 saves in the period as a power play fueled Montréal’s attack.
Gosling’s goal gave Seattle the lead early in the third as Murphy had to shine to get the victory across the finish line. Fifteen more saves followed in the final period with Montréal unable to crack Murphy, despite a few dangerous chances.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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Seattle weather: Driver conditions on Tuesday
If you are traveling over the passes the next few days, here is a look at the forecast. Snow overnight through early Tuesday, with several new inches for Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass. We will see drier conditions Tuesday and then a mix of rain and snow for Wednesday.
SEATTLE – Strong winds are sticking around Western Washington into Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day is looking quiet.
There’s a low chance of high-impact windstorms around the region tomorrow. There’s still a considerable amount of uncertainty in the wind speeds due to extreme differences in the various weather models.
Be prepared for possible tree damage and power outages by Wednesday evening. Otherwise, you can plan on occasional scattered lowland rain and mountain snow tomorrow.
Possible windstorm on Christmas Eve
What’s next:
There’s a high wind watch posted for many locations around Western Washington for Wednesday morning to evening. The first round of winds is likely to happen in the morning (however, stick with us for updates as to the timing) with east/northeast gusts to 30 mph.
In the morning, the strongest winds will likely be focused over the Cascade gaps (e.g. North Bend and Enumclaw).
By the afternoon, there’s a chance for more forceful winds — this time, coming from the south. The second period of winds will have a higher impact with gusts potentially reaching 50-60 mph. Should this forecast pan out, there would be widespread tree damage and power outages.
Big picture view:
However, it’s important to note that the various weather models we analyze are presenting a broad range of possible outcomes on Christmas Eve. It’s rare to have this level of uncertainty about a forecast barely 24 hours in advance. Some suggest an intense windstorm while others indicate winds would barely reach 10 mph.
Keep in mind: there’s an elevated ‘bust potential’ for this forecast — meaning, the winds could be a dud, barely blowing — or gusts could be highly damaging. I recommend preparing for the worst-case scenario and being pleasantly surprised if conditions are quieter.
What you can do:
As a meteorologist, this is what I recommend you do with high winds possible:
- Don’t spend time outside during this windstorm if at all possible (in the event that weak trees or tree branches fall).
- Limit time on the roads during the peak of the in case trees fall! With this particular windstorm, I’d recommend traveling in the morning (unless the timing changes) before winds peak in the afternoon and early evening.
- First, make sure you keep your phone charged in the event of a power outage.
- You can also download the FOX Local app on your phone so you can watch our weather coverage and forecast. Remember to keep the fridge shut during a power outage to maintain the cool air there.
The weather models are split as to the path of this storm: the impacts of this system depend on where it moves. You better believe our weather team will be watching how things develop. If the low pressure moves over the coast and the Olympic Peninsula, the winds would be more damaging. However, if it moves into Eastern Washington, the winds would likely be weaker.
This storm serves as a reminder as to the importance of humans as meteorologists — because most weather apps can’t express the range of possible outcomes and various scenarios.
River flood threat decreasing
Except for the Skokomish River in Mason County, the threat of river flooding is over this week. Even the risk of river flooding next week has decreased substantially. Stay tuned in case anything changes!
There may be minor coastal flooding at times this week.
Local perspective:
Beyond the winds on Christmas Eve, you can expect scattered lowland rain and occasional minor mountain snow.
On Christmas Day itself, the morning will be about the aftermath of any tree damage and outages. Quieter weather is expected on Christmas.
Take good care,
Meteorologist Abby Acone
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The NFC West is a crowded mess, with three of the NFL’s best teams vying for both the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
And it just got messier.
The 49ers’ win over the Colts on Monday night improves their record to 11-4, tying them with the Rams and putting both teams one game behind the 12-3 Seahawks.
Are Seahawks now the NFC favorite? Sheil Kapadia’s take
What does it mean for Seattle? I’ll be using The Athletic’s 2025 Playoff Simulator to navigate through the next two weeks…
First, the basics. What’s next for these three teams?
The 49ers have two at home. They host the 11-4 Chicago Bears (the league’s leader in takeaways and coming off back-to-back wins) for Sunday Night Football and then host the Seahawks. The date and time on that one is TBD, usually settled late Week 17, but it’s a favorite to be another primetime matchup.
The current NFL playoff picture
The Seahawks have two on the road. They head to Carolina to take on a hungry 8-7 Panthers team, also coming off a win, that can clinch the NFC South for the first time in a decade with a victory and a Bucs’ loss to the Dolphins. Then the Seahawks head to Santa Clara to face the 49ers.
The Rams have the easiest slate, facing two teams already eliminated from the postseason. They head to play the 6-9 Falcons and then host the 3-12 Cardinals in the regular-season finale.
What are the Seahawks’ current odds of clinching the No. 1 seed?
The Seahawks entered Monday with 53% odds to clinch the No. 1 seed. There’s not a big hit from the 49ers’ win: Seattle’s odds dip to 48%, but are still the highest of the three (49ers at 27% and the Rams at 11% before games are played this upcoming Sunday).
The only thing eliminated by virtue of the 49ers’ win was the Seahawks’ ability to clinch the top seed this Sunday.
If all three NFC West teams win in Week 17, the Seahawks’ odds are right where they were: 53%. That’s how monumental Week 18’s game against the 49ers is.
Best-case scenario in Week 17: Easy. The Seahawks are the only team of the three to win this Sunday. Their odds would jump to 74%. They get the No. 1 seed one of two ways after that: beat the 49ers, or lose to the 49ers + a Lions win over the Bears.
Worst-case scenario in Week 17: The Seahawks lose, while the Rams and 49ers win. Seattle’s odds would drop to 7%. But they’re not done; in this scenario, they could still get the top seed with a win over the 49ers + a Cardinals win over the Rams.
How would the Rams clinch? The Rams’ loss to the Seahawks last Thursday night took L.A. out of the driver’s seat. The Rams’ simplest path is to: win out + the Seahawks and 49ers lose one game each + the Lions beat the Bears. The Rams need the Seahawks to lose to make up for the one-game lead, and need the Bears to lose to win a tiebreaker (conference record).
What else should we know?
Oh, that’s right, the Bears.
There’s another team here still fighting for the top seed. Chicago’s Saturday night comeback win over the Packers wasn’t just a thriller; it also added some new playoff implications.
The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed. But they have a better conference record than both the Rams and the Seahawks, so keeping a game ahead is massive.
Again, all Seattle has to do is win out. It doesn’t matter what any other team does if that happens. But things become tricky if Seattle drops a game.
In that case, if the Seahawks lose to the Panthers, root for the Lions and Cardinals. And always root against your NFC West foes.
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