Seahawks strike offensive balance and stop prodigy Murray in Cardinals win



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As is the case with most teams, title chases are largely dependent on quarterback play. For five weeks, no one played better than Wilson, who was widely regarded as the frontrunner for his first MVP award. However, the ball safety that has been such an important part of his game over the years has become an issue last month and up, with a total of 10 steals in all three losses. Turnover was such a problem that Wilson felt compelled to publicly remind reporters that he was a “great” player. Not that there was ever any doubt, but the feeling of the urge to say it can be taken as a sign that the noise was advancing beyond the mental doors that he so fervently guard.

But the questions for Wilson went beyond the gifts. There was also the problem of poor decision making, like choosing to throw the ball when he should have put it away and run. Against the Rams last Sunday, he missed opportunities to make a difference with his legs and instead tried to make the game harder with his arm, to no avail. It was not a problem on Thursday. Wilson was efficient and balanced. He took what was given to him, whether by land or air, finishing 23 of 28 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns without interceptions. He also ran for 42 yards on 10 carries.

“I love playing this game. There are always ups and downs and tough challenges, but great players always know, firstly, how to be consistent and, second, how to constantly adjust and how to overcome constantly. me, that’s my mentality. I tell you all the time that I want to be neutral. I want to be able to stay calm in the middle of the storm. I know the kind of player that I am. I know what I’m capable of “, Wilson said.

Wilson didn’t have to carry the load because the Seahawks received contributions from their ground game, with Hyde returning after missing three games with hamstring issues. The hope is that running back Chris Carson, who was sidelined by injury, could return as early as next week, which could make the attack even more balanced and therefore dangerous. Thursday’s running game ended with 165 yards on 31 carries, with each of the four ball carriers having at least one rush of 10 yards or more.

“Before the week I just imagined myself having a good game and playing a clean game – not trying to do anything amazing, just run the ball and protect Russ,” said Hyde, who considered at the during the week that he would “speak (at the desk) after the game.”

Dunlap was also brought to the post-game lectern for continuing to impose his will on the pitch. He had 82.5 career sacks with the Bengals, but only had one before being traded. He’s since 3.5 and brought energy to what had been an anemic pass rush; Seattle has 13 sacks in three games with him, one more than in his first seven games. Dunlap did not play in Game 1 against Arizona on Oct. 25, when the Seahawks had no sacks and no quarterbacks against Murray, who threw for 360 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 of more and a score. However, Thursday night was a different story. Seattle had three sacks and seven quarterback hits.

“It was surreal,” Dunlap said of the game ending with his Murray sack. “The way the sideline broke, I could only imagine what it would have been like if the (fans) were there. This team is very exciting. I’m happy to be a part of it. They brought me in. here to make it a … job, and I’m happy to say I was able to do it. “

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