Arizona Cardinals: Know Thy Enemy, 5 Questions With 12th Man Rising

Raisingzona.com had a chance to do a Q&A with editor Mitch Quesada Seattle Seahawks Fansided site 12thmanrising.com

1. The Seahawks could be 10-0 but they could also be 3-7 if the ball bounces the right way.  Is 6-4 truly who they are and they’ve taken a step back or have people made too much of the in-house fighting and its all much ado about nothing?

"The Seahawks deserve to be 7-3 I would say. I don’t think they should have lost to St. Louis, they were just fooled when it came down to it. The other three losses, however, were real. This team is certainly not the same one it was last year and that’s showing big time. The passing game isn’t where it needs to be on offense and the secondary hasn’t been dominant either. As far as the record goes, Seattle might be a out of luck if they can’t beat Arizona on Sunday. A loss could seriously dampen their hopes of the postseason but they really don’t have anyone to blame but themselves."

2. Marshawn Lynch.  He was a beast 2 weeks ago and played very well last week despite a back injury.  He didn’t practice much this week but Pete Carroll says he’ll play.  How do you think he fares against the Cardinals run defense?

"Lynch is a stud and since he is the anchor of the offense I would expect he plays the majority of the game. But Arizona’s run defense has been so solid lately, I’ll say he runs for about 75 yards and scores a touchdown. Beating the Cardinals is going to be very difficult but the team is going to have to follow Lynch’s lead if they have any chance of beating the team from the desert."

3. You also get linebacker Bobby Wagner back this week.  What does his presence mean to the Seahawks defense?

"Wagner is a huge addition in the middle of that defense. Seattle’s run defense has been solid lately (minus Jamaal Charles game last week) and Wagner will only improve that. Further, he is a leader and understands how to reset the defense if it’s out of place and the team looks up to him the same way they look up to Earl Thomas to pave the way and get excited on the field. Wagner was the team’s leading tackler before he got hurt and I expect him to put up some big stats in his return in front of his home crowd on Sunday."

4. Obviously the Seahawks are still very much in play for the NFC West title with a win this weekend, which many expect will happen on both fronts.  If the Cardinals surprise everyone outside of Arizona with a win, clearly the Seahawks are deep behind the eight-ball as far as the division is concerned. What  about just making the playoffs.  Do you think the Seahawks still get there with a loss on Sunday?

"I think the Seahawks are just about eliminated from playoff contention, not mathematically, but reasonably with a loss on Sunday. There are too many other good teams in the NFC (the Packers, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys) who will either win their divisions or get in with Wild Card spots. Assuming those teams don’t all start losing all of a sudden, Seattle will have to finish the year on a five-game winning streak just to be in the conversation. This is a must-win game for Seattle."

5. Your prediction with final score on Sunday?

"Living in Phoenix means all I have seen since the start of the year is Cardinals football. The team is physical, fearless and a better football team than the Seahawks right now. This is the first time I will pick against my beloved Seahawks this year, but I have to be honest with myself and say that I think Arizona is going to pull this one out. They beat Seattle last year at the CLink, and this year the Bird Gang is even better than they were then.Cardinals 24, Seahawks 20."