GLENDALE, Ariz. — Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, Seattle set a franchise record with 596 yards of offense, and the streaking Seahawks closed in on another NFC West title with a 35-6 romp over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night.

Seattle (11-4) moved into a tie with Arizona (11-4) for first place, and the Seahawks hold the tiebreaker by virtue of two wins over the Cardinals. Seattle can earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over St. Louis next week.

Wilson had the longest run of his career (55 yards) and matched the longest pass of his career (80) in the Seahawks’ fifth straight victory.

Marshawn Lynch sat out the first quarter with what the team called an upset stomach, then came in to score on a 6-yard run in the second quarter and a spectacular 79-yard run in Seattle’s 21-point fourth quarter.

Wilson passed for 339 yards and rushed for 88 yards. Lynch finished with 113 yards on just 10 carries.

Steven Hauschka missed three field goals and the Seahawks had 11 penalties for 97 yards, but their defense controlled the Cardinals for most of the night. Arizona rushed for only 29 yards and had just 216 yards total.

Still, the game was close until the fourth quarter. Luke Willson’s second touchdown catch of the night, a 20-yarder, made it 21-6. Lynch then broke it open with his long run on which he broke several tackles, and Wilson added a 5-yard touchdown run with just under five minutes remaining.

The Cardinals, despite a litany of injuries, had already clinched a playoff berth, but quarterback Ryan Lindley was ineffective in his first start for Arizona. Signed off San Diego’s practice squad, he was forced into action because of injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.