Seahawks hold off feisty Cardinals' comeback attempt

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sam Darnold is playing similar a franchise quarterback. And Jaxon Smith-Njigba is playing similar 1 of the champion receivers successful football.

On a nighttime successful which the Seahawks allowed a blowout to crook into a nailbiter, the Darnold-to-Smith-Njigba helped them flight State Farm Stadium with a 23-20 triumph implicit the Arizona Cardinals connected a 52-yard Jason Myers tract extremity arsenic clip expired.

The Seahawks shouldn't person needed the precocious heroics. They led 14-3 astatine halftime contempt shooting themselves successful the ft 3 times, with Coby Bryant fumbling distant an interception, chap information Julian Love dropping an casual prime and moving backmost Kenneth Walker III taking them retired of field-goal scope with a taunting penalty.

Still, the Seahawks were successful implicit power -- until they weren't. Their vaunted defence gave up 17 consecutive points, allowing Arizona to necktie the crippled precocious successful the 4th quarter.

Seattle got the shot astatine the 40-yard enactment aft Arizona's kickoff failed to scope the landing zone, and connected a second-and-10 play, Darnold deed Smith-Njigba for a 22-yard gain, mounting up Myers' victor 2 plays later.

Smith-Njigba had 323 receiving yards entering Thursday, making it the champion three-game commencement successful franchise history. It took him a portion to get going against Arizona, but helium finished with 79 yards connected 4 catches.

Add different section to the publication of chaotic games involving the Seahawks visiting the Cardinals, wherever they are present 11-1-1 since 2013.

Here are the astir important things to cognize from Thursday nighttime for some teams:

Seahawks (3-1)

What to marque of the QB performance: Darnold continues to amusement he's an effectual scrambler. That was among the reasons helium had been sacked lone 3 times implicit the archetypal 3 games. Arizona got to him 3 times Thursday, but Darnold again made plays connected the move. Late successful the archetypal half, helium deed rookie choky extremity Elijah Arroyo for 32 yards connected a scramble throw. On the adjacent play, helium ran for 24 yards. That thrust ended with a touchdown that enactment Seattle up 14-3 astatine halftime. Darnold finished 18 of 26 for 242 yards and a touchdown.

Turning point: After the questionable fumble connected Bryant's interception return, the Seahawks caught an officiating break. Late successful the archetypal half, near tackle Charles Cross wasn't called for an evident mendacious commencement connected a third-and-2 play that Seattle converted via a Darnold propulsion to Cooper Kupp. Had it been called, Seattle would person faced third-and-7 from the 32, perchance starring to a agelong tract extremity try. Instead, Darnold deed choky extremity AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown and a 7-3 pb connected the adjacent play.

Trend to watch: Has Josh Jobe overtaken Riq Woolen arsenic the No. 2 corner? When Seattle brought successful information D'Anthony Bell arsenic an other antiaircraft back, Woolen came disconnected the field, not Jobe. This mightiness person been a fewer weeks successful the making. Coach Mike Macdonald wo...