Seattle, WA (Sports Network) – Olindo Mare kicked five field goals and Mike Williams continued his career revitalization with a touchdown catch in Seattle’s 22-10 win over Arizona in a battle for the top spot in the NFC West at Quest Field.
Matt Hasselbeck completed 20-of-38 throws for 192 yards and one touchdown while Marshawn Lynch carried 24 times for 89 yards for the Seahawks (4-2), who took over sole possession of first place in the division.
Williams caught a career-high 11 passes for 87 yards and now has a career-best 32 grabs for 348 yards to this point in the season.
Max Hall connected on only 4-of-16 tosses for 36 yards and was intercepted once, and left the game after taking a blow to the head as the Cardinals (3-3) fell a game behind the victors.
Derek Anderson took over and went 8-for-17 for 96 yards and Beanie Wells gained 54 yards on 14 runs and scored a touchdown for the visitors, who had won six of the previous seven meetings.
Seattle moved 78 yards in 14 plays on the game’s first possession, but had to settle for Mare’s 20-yard field goal when the drive stalled at the two.
The hosts went three-and-out midway through the second quarter before Jon Ryan’s punt was muffed by rookie Andre Roberts inside the Cardinals 20 and recovered by Roy Lewis at the two.
Two plays later, Williams made a leaping grab of Hasselbeck’s throw and came down inbounds in the left corner of the end zone for his first TD of the year, making it a 10-0 game with 5:46 remaining in the half.
Less than a minute into the second half, Hall was sacked by Chris Clemons, who jarred the ball loose, and it was recovered by Raheem Brock at the Cardinals’ 11. The hosts could not pick up a first down and had to settle for a 31-yard boot from Mare that extended their lead to 13-0.
Again, Seattle was able to take advantage of a special teams miscue, as Jason Wright of the Cardinals booted the ensuing kickoff toward the left sideline, where it was recovered by Kennard Cox at the Arizona 16.
The Seahawks gained only three yards before Mare came on to kick a 31-yarder that was nullified by a holding penalty. The veteran then connected from 41 yards out, but that was wiped away by another holding call. The third try was the charm, as Mare nailed it from 51 with 10:57 left in the third period.
Hall was replaced by Anderson on the next Arizona possession and the former starter steered an eight-play, 70-yard drive that Wells capped with a two-yard scoring run to trim the margin to 16-7 with 5:43 to go in the quarter. Anderson completed all three of his passes on the march, including a 29-yarder down the middle to Early Doucet that put the visitors at the Seattle 16.
Mare kicked a 46-yard field goal that the Seahawks took off the board after a defensive offside call gave them a first down at the 23. Hasselbeck found Williams for 15 yards to set up 1st-and-goal, but again Seattle couldn’t punch it in and settled for a 24-yarder from Mare to make it a 19-7 contest with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
LaRod Stephens-Howling brought the ensuing kickoff from four yards deep in his own end zone to the Seattle 33. The long return set up Jay Feely’s 24-yard field goal that sliced the deficit to 19-10 just 12 seconds into the final quarter.
Mare’s final successful kick of the day, from 26 yards out, extended the hosts’ lead to 22-10 with 7 1/2 minutes to play in the game.
Game Notes
Hasselbeck is 17-5 in his last 22 home starts against divisional foes…Justin Forsett ran nine times for 41 yards and caught two passes for 31 yards for Seattle…Tim Hightower carried six times for a team-high 59 yards for Arizona. Larry Fitzgerald was held to three catches for 30 yards while Doucet made two grabs for 33…Fellow wide receiver Steve Breaston was inactive for a third straight week…The Cardinals lead the all-time series 13-10…Arizona had won 12 of its previous 15 divisional games before Sunday.