The Seahawks lost at CenturyLink Field Sunday for the first time in 729 days.
The Arizona Cardinals sent Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson to the first home loss of his career, scratching out a 17-10 victory to keep their shaky playoff hopes alive.
Here's what else we learned in Sunday's game:
- Regardless of the Cardinals' postseason fate, Bruce Arians deserves Coach of the Year consideration for the second consecutive season. Arians told reporters earlier this week that it was a different Arizona team that was trounced 58-0 in Seattle last season. After Sunday's game, Arians quipped: "I guess we are 65 points better than last year."
- No one disputes CenturyLink Field as the NFL's biggest home-field advantage, but the Seahawks now have been beatable in three of their seven home games (Titans, Buccaneers, Cardinals) this season. Seattle will still wrap up the NFC's No. 1 seed as long as they take care of business while hosting the Rams next week.
- By the start of the fourth quarter, Seattle's Jon Ryan had as many punts (8) as Wilson had completions. Ryan's nine punts resulted in six return yards for Arizona's Patrick Peterson. Amazingly enough, those six yards represent one-fourth of the punt-return yards allowed by the Seahawks for the entire season. It's an incredible statistic, proving the excellence of the special teams unit.
- Wilson entered the game second only to Mike Glennon in percentage of snaps under pressure, per Pro Football Focus. Pass protection was a problem again Sunday, as the Cardinals racked up four sacks, nine quarterback hits and over a dozen pressures on a uncharacteristically hesitant and inaccurate Wilson. Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' defense also held Wilson to the lowest yards per attempt of his career and the lowest passer rating of his season. Now healthy and intact, the offensive line has to play better in the playoffs.
- The Seahawks defense deserved a better fate. It forced Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer into fourinterceptions, eight passes defensed and nine quarterback hits. Cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas remain in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year even with Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechkly and St. Louis Rams pass rusher Robert Quinn excelling again Sunday.
- Give NFL Media's Dave Dameshek credit for predicting the biggest upset of the season.
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