Arizona Cardinals: Seahawks more than a week 17 foe

The Arizona Cardinals take on division rival Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium

We’ve reached week 17 of the 2015 NFL season.  For the Arizona Cardinals, it still has meaning.  For the Seattle Seahawks, it has some meaning as well.  For both teams part, they are downplaying the whole something to play for aspect of the game.

What the Cardinals are doing though tells you they still want the number one seed.  They have said they are playing all their starters.  As for Seattle, they are dealing with some injuries and guys like tight end Luke Willson, guard J.R. Sweazy, and running back Marshawn Lynch are all sitting this one out.

Whatever comes on Sunday for both teams it is still a division game.  The Cardinals haven’t beaten the Seahawks in Glendale since the season opener in 2012, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s professional debut.

The Seahawks arrived in Phoenix on Friday night.  They wanted to get into a playoff travel routine now.  They will be a wild card team and will play either Saturday or Sunday next weekend.  Don’t let that fool you though.  They also wanted to be well rested and prepared for these Cardinals as well.  Remember that thing I told you about the Seahawks had something to play for?

The Seahawks will be the fifth or sixth seed.  As a sixth seed, they have no shot at hosting a playoff game.  As a fifth seed, there is still a chance to host the sixth seed in the NFC Championship if both were to make it that far.  They will play either the Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings next week depending on the outcome of their game on Sunday night.

The Cardinals say they won’t be scoreboard watching on Sunday but something tells me they will sneak a peak or two at the Jumbotron to see how the Carolina Panthers are faring against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  This will be more than your typical week 17 throwaway game.  You probably won’t know the difference between this game and a week 10 game.