Seattle, WA

Insider: What to watch from Seattle Seahawks' Week 12 opponent

Published

8 mins ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Insider: What to watch from Seattle Seahawks' Week 12 opponent

After a big win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks are set for another important divisional clash.

Macdonald previews Seattle Seahawks’ pivotal NFC West clash vs Cardinals

The Seahawks host the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals (6-4) with a chance to move into at least a tie for first place in the division. Seattle (5-5) is currently in a three-way tie for second place with both the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams.

If Seattle can pull off the win and both San Francisco and Los Angeles lose, it would take over sole possession of first place via the head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona. The Seahawks and Cardinals meet again on Dec. 8.

The Cardinals, winners of four straight, are one of the surprise teams in the league this season. After finishing in a four-way tie for the second-worst record in the league last season, they’ve already surpassed their four wins from a season ago and have their latest division lead since being tied for first with the Rams in Week 15 of the 2021 season.

With Arizona on the docket for the first time this season, AZCardinals.com senior writer Darren Urban shared his insight on the Cardinals with Stacy Rost and Seahawks Radio Network analysts Michael Bumpus and Dave Wyman during The Huddle on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

Kyler Murray playing at a high level

Arizona has been much improved on offense with dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray fully healthy, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

With Murray out for the first nine weeks of last season, the Cardinals stumbled to a 1-8 start while averaging just 16.8 points per game. After his return, they went 3-5 while averaging 22.8 points.

Murray is playing at a high level this year in his first full season since tearing his ACL in December of the 2022 season. He’s completing passes at a career-high 69.2% clip with 2,058 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions, while adding another 371 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

“I don’t know if I’ll necessarily call it a career year yet. (We) obviously still got half the season to go, but he’s definitely in a different space than he’s been in before,” Urban said. “He might have had more gaudy numbers once upon a time, but he fits so well in the offense that they’re running here with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, and the fact that it’s kind of coming together at a perfect time, really kind of escalates how he looks and how he’s performing. Don’t get me wrong, Kyler is playing at a very high level right now. They just don’t always need him to be Superman like he once was.”

Arizona is tied for 11th in scoring this season at 23.8 points per game with Murray leading the charge. Part of what’s made him so effective this year is his improved ability to take care of the football. He’s on pace for a career-low 1.1% interception rate.

“He’s done a really good job of taking care of the football,” Urban said. “When you add that in with the least amount of penalties the Cardinals have got – the Cardinals have the fewest amount of penalties of anybody in the NFL – that goes a long way in helping you try and win games. So Kyler Murray is in a good place right now. He’s 100% back from the knee injury from a couple of years ago. He looks like it when he moves around. He’s throwing the ball exceptionally well. And this offense is coming around.”

The ‘heart and soul’ of Arizona’s offense

While Murray’s play has been key, Urban described veteran running back James Conner as the “heart and soul of the offense.”

“Since (head coach) Jonathan Gannon came in, they prefer to be a run-first offense,” Urban said. “(It) doesn’t mean they won’t throw, to the contrary, but in a perfect world James Conner is getting the ball a lot and they are grinding out yards on the ground.”

The 29-year-old Conner has been a versatile weapon for Arizona this season and is 11th in the NFL with 944 yards from scrimmage. He’s rushed for 697 yards and five touchdowns on 4.4 yards per carry and added another 247 yards on 24 receptions. The Pittsburgh product has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in four games and produced at least 100 yards from scrimmage in six.

“The way he plays football feels very old-school. It feels very 1977 kind of feel to it as a running back, and you don’t get that a lot anymore. When he does well, it does seem to energize this entire team,” Urban said. “Not a lot of people know James Conner – most (do) from his years in Pittsburgh – but there’s no question that he has played his best football since he came to Arizona in these last couple of years. Even as he’s getting older as a running back, he seems to be getting better.”

The combination of Conner and Murray in the running game means this Cardinals squad is better suited for the chilly conditions it’s set to face Sunday in Seattle.

“If they’re playing the game that they want to play, they’re going to be able to control the ball on offense a little bit and they’re going to be able to run it,” Urban said. “One of the things that has always kind of … followed this team where it plays, if you go back to the heydays of the Kurt Warner Cardinals, is they can win if they’re not in a dome. … This team can do that.”

Improving defense

After being among the league’s worst defenses last season, the Cardinals have resembled more of a league-average unit this season under second-year defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

The biggest strides the unit has made have come against the run. Arizona was last in the NFL in rushing defense last season and is up to 19th in 2024. The defense also has been better at forcing turnovers, jumping from tied for 27th to tied for 16th with 11 so far this season.

The Cardinals are coming off two of their best defensive performances, allowing a combined 15 points and no touchdowns in wins over Chicago Bears and New York Jets.

“The last two games where they haven’t given up a touchdown, you’re playing at home, you’re playing against the Jets and the Bears – two teams that I’m pretty sure are not going to be going anywhere past the end of the regular season, so you have to factor in some context,” Urban said. “But this team was always defensively about doing a solid job and hopefully having the offense pick them up in spots.

“What has happened over this four-game winning streak in a lot of ways is the defense has done more than just hold its own, and that’s an important factor when you talk about a group that doesn’t have a lot of big names.”

With that being said, the unit is still susceptible to give up yards. It’s just been good at limiting points in the red zone, ranking ninth in the league with an opponents’ red-zone touchdown percentage of just 48.6%.

“(The defense is) an area of the roster that I’m sure (general manger) Monti Ossenfort wants to continue to upgrade, but they are playing at a pretty high level and it’s kind of the epitome of bend but not break,” Urban said. “I mean, they’re going to give up some yards, but they’ve been keeping teams out of the end zone, and that’s gone a long way for them to win games.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to The Huddle from noon-2 p.m. on Thursday’s before Sunday Seahawks games for two full hours of in-depth coverage on the team.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Rost: What Seattle Seahawks face vs Cards with NFC West lead in play
• Salk: Seahawks’ Macdonald just may be the ‘Shanahan tree killer’
• Why three rising Seahawks players are standing out to Daniel Jeremiah
• Bump goes inside JSN’s breakout stretch for Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks make four roster moves as Week 12 preparation begins

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Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Prediction: Odds, Best Bets, Player News, Injuries, and Stats

Published

8 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Prediction: Odds, Best Bets, Player News, Injuries, and Stats

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Preview

The Arizona Cardinals are 6-4, and Jonathan Gannon should be the favorite for coach of the year. After a tough start to the season, the Cardinals have ripped off five straight wins. Their win over the Chargers is the most impressive of them all.

The Cardinals have been a good mix of solid passing performances and a well-balanced rushing attack, led by quarterback Kyler Murray.

They head to Seattle this week to take on Geno Smith and the 5-5 Seahawks.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Seahawks, and they are on a bit of a bad run, losing three of their last five games.

Luckily, with the return of DK Metcalf, they should be a bit stronger on the offensive side of the ball.

The Seahawks have missed Metcalf’s production and ability to stretch the field and take the top off the defense.

The Cardinals are the only team without a conference loss, so they should enter this game as betting favorites and with a great deal of confidence.

Listen to the Bet the Edge podcast as hosts Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick provide listeners with sharp actionable insight, market analysis and statistical data to help bettors gain more information before placing their wagers. So, whether you’re targeting spreads and totals, looking for value in futures markets or circling player props, give their podcast a listen to give you that extra edge.

How to Watch Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Live on Sunday:

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024
Time: 4:25 PM ET
Site: Lumen Field
City: Seattle, WA
TV/Streaming: FOX

Latest Game Odds for Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Week 12

The latest odds as of Friday morning, courtesy of DraftKings:

Moneyline: Arizona Cardinals (-110), Seattle Seahawks (-110)
Spread: Cardinals -1
Total: 44.5

The Seahawks enter this game as a 1.5-point favorite. Given the success of the Cardinals, the line has since moved in favor of Arizona, making them a 1-point favorite.

NBC Sports Bet Best Bets

NBC Sports analyst Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is eyeing Seattle +1

Thomas: “This game is blah… If there were a skip button, it would be this one for me. Not that it won’t be a compelling game; I am just struggling to find a reason bet to take. Gun to my head, I would take Seahawks +1 at -105. With Metcalf returning, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has his full arsenal of talented weapons at his disposal.”

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Team Stats, Betting Trends

The Cardinals are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a road underdog
The Seahawks have won five straight games against the Cardinals
The Seahawks have won five straight games against the Cardinals
The Cardinals are 2-0 against the NFC West this season
The Cardinals have won 5 of their last 6 games

Quarterback Matchup for Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Cardinals: Kyler Murray returned to action in Week 10, showing flashes of his dynamic playmaking ability that he had prior to his injury. Murray has thrown for 2,058 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
Seahawks: Geno Smith has had a turnover problem. He’s thrown for 2,781 yards and 11 touchdowns, so some may say he’s been good. However, it’s hard to ignore the 11 interceptions he has thrown.

Player News & Injuries

Cardinals:
- S Jalen Thompson (ankle) is OUT
- LB Xavier Thomas (back) is questionable
- DE Darius Robinson (calf) is questionable
- OT Jonah Williams (knee) is questionable
- K Matt Prater is on the IR
Seahawks:
- TE Noah Fant (groin) is questionable
- TE Brady Russell (foot) is OUT
- WR Laviska Shenault Jr (back) is questionable
- OT George Fant (knee) is on the IR

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

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Fairmont Olympic Hotel Is Giving Back With Seattle Festival Of Trees

Published

16 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Fairmont Olympic Hotel Is Giving Back With Seattle Festival Of Trees

Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle

Hannah Corbin

Fairmont Olympic Hotel, one of Seattle’s most renowned luxury hotels, is full of festive spirit thanks to a partnership with the Seattle Festival of Trees Guild and Seattle’s Children Hospital.

Displaying over 20 uniquely decorated Christmas trees, each one tells the story of a patient from Seattle Children’s Hospital. Guests and visitors can marvel at the beautiful designs, which range from classic to whimsical, with the trees on display throughout the lobby and mezzanine levels of the hotel.

The trees are available for purchase, starting from $4,200, and vary in size and width—most trees are between 7-foot and 8-foot in height. On display now until Dec. 2, proceeds from every sale will benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care and Autism Center.

“We are deeply honored to have shared a cherished partnership with the Seattle Festival of Trees Guild and Seattle Children’s Hospital for decades. At the heart of Fairmont is our commitment to turning moments into special memories, and this beloved holiday tradition transforms our hotel into a festive haven,” said Sunny Joseph, General Manager of Fairmont Olympic Hotel. “It warmly welcomes longtime Fairmont guests, members of the local community, visitors from near and far, and our colleagues, who eagerly anticipate this event each year.”

Discovering Narnia tree.

Hannah Corbin

The Seattle Festival of Trees program has been a key part of Washington’s festive season for 47 years, working with around a dozen designers to create eye-catching themed Christmas trees to celebrate the magic of Christmas in style.

“Many of us have family members who’ve been treated or cared for at Seattle Children’s so this is definitely a labor of love,” explained Daphne Darst, Chair, Designer and Member of Seattle Festival of Trees Guild. “Hospital patients are paired with each tree and we designers are always interested in reading about the child’s health struggles and inspired to do whatever we can to impact and support the hospital’s work.”

To officially kick off the 2024 Seattle Festival of Trees season, the hotel is hosting a gala on Nov. 23, an evening that includes wine, passed hor d’ oeuvres, silent and live auctions, a raffle, gourmet dinner and more.

Trees are on display until Dec. 2.

Hannah Corbin

In addition to the Festival of Trees, the hotel hosts an annual Teddy Bear Suite starting Thanksgiving day. The suite, which has been a part of Fairmont Olympic tradition for almost 25 years, is free to enter and features 100 teddy bears and plenty of cozy features to enchant kids and adults alike.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh Makes Massive Decision Which Could Affect Future

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Seattle Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh Makes Massive Decision Which Could Affect Future

On Thursday night, it was announced that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had finished 12th in the American League MVP voting. This concluded an unbelievable award season for the M’s catcher. In addition to finishing 12th in the MVP voting, Raleigh was a finalist for the American League Silver Slugger. He also won both the Gold Glove at catcher and the Platinum Glove in the American League.

However, the MVP news wasn’t the biggest piece of Raleigh-related news on Thursday. According to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, Raleigh dropped agent Scott Boras in favor Excel Sports Management.

Seattle Mariners Gold Glove catcher Cal Raleigh has switched his representation to Excel Sports Management, per sources.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) November 21, 2024

Now, we don’t officially know the reason for the change, but some Mariners fans online took it to mean that the M’s have a greater chance of signing Raleigh to an extension now.

Take @MarinerMuse for example:

Fine, I’ll say it out loud:

This is the move you make if you want to sign an extension and you have the free agency manipulation agent.

Fine, I’ll say it out loud:
This is the move you make if you want to sign an extension and you have the free agency manipulation agent.
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) November 21, 2024
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Raleigh is headed into arbitration this season and is under contract through the 2027 regardless. The M’s certainly would want to lock Raleigh up long-term as he’s one of the best catchers in all of baseball, but it only gets harder to do as he gets closer to free agency.

Furthermore, he’s 27 years old now, making an extension that takes him to 32-33 more desirable than giving him a long-term deal in the future. He’ll be 30 when his rookie deal ends and any extension would likely take him deep into his mid-30s.

Raleigh hit 34 homers this year to lead all catchers. He drove in 100 runs also, in addition to his defensive prowess.

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:

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