Apparently, birds of a feather have no qualms about running up the score on one another. The Seattle Seahawks dealt a poignant deathblow to the Arizona Cardinals already anemic season shutting out the team in a punishing record-breaking 58-0 victory Sunday.
With the Seahawks focusing on the playoffs, Arizona was merely looking to put a stop to its nine-game losing streak. The win marks yet another milestone in the Seahawks' already impressive season.
The Seahawks' Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner each had two interceptions, Marshawn Lynch ran for three touchdowns, and the Seahawks set a franchise record for points in its blowout against the Cardinals.
Leon Washington's three-yard run with 2:32 left pushed the Seahawks past the old record of 56 points scored against Buffalo in 1977. The eight takeaways were their second most, equaling a 1998 achievement.
Lynch tore up the field, running for 128 yards on 11 carries. His last touchdown tied his career high for TD runs in a game. Lynch's backup, Robert Turbin, also topped had a standout day with 108 yards. It was the first game since 2005 vs. Houston that two of the team's runningbacks recorded over 100 yards a piece.
Wilson became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first six games at home since the 1970 merger, though he wasn't required to do much. Wilson completed 7 of 13 for 148 yards and one touchdown.
"It's a reward for all of the hard work. You work so hard and so often, the games don't afford you that opportunity," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, according to Huffington Post.
"For everybody to play, everybody to contribute, so many guys can get on the stats sheets and all that stuff, and contribute. It's really very positive."
The Seahawks defense refused to let up all night, forcing eight turnovers, allowing the team to maintain its white-knuckle grip on the final NFC wild-card slot. Offense was equally dominant; everything looked like it was virtually on autopilot by the second half. With a 45-point lead, the Seahawks confidently pulled starting quarterback Russell Wilson just minutes into the third quarter.
"We have a lot of energy, a lot of great players that can really fly around and make a lot of different plays. To be able to do that, it's great to see that," Seattle quarterback Wilson said. "But at the same time, you can't get too high. That's the fear that we all have; we can't get too high, we have to stay focused on what we can do to control our destiny."
The win also marked Seattle's first division victory of the season and gave Carroll his first eight-win season in three years here.
The 8-5 team also still has a small chance of catching up to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West depending on how well the teams continue to play in the coming two weeks. When the teams next meet on Dec. 23, they could be facing off for the division lead.
"It was unbelievable it was a total team effort," Sherman said. "Guys were playing out of their minds."
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