Local and national media predict the winner of Sunday's regular-season finale between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field.
Elliot Harrison, **NFL.com**: Seahawks 34, Cardinals 10
Harrison: Oooh, boy. This game could get ugly fast -- unless Josh Rosen decides this is the week to break out. He will need help up front more than anything else to keep his Arizona 'mates in it. Pete Carroll has said the Seahawks won't rest players, even though they've already clinched a playoff berth. On that note, if Seattle wins, it will travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys in the wild-card round. If they lose, and the Vikings beat the Bears this weekend, then the Seahawks would travel to Chicago. Where would you rather go this time of year? Which team would Seattle rather play? The answers to both of those questions are easy, as the Seahawks' road to victory on Sunday will be if Arizona can't find improved ways to slow the run. Last time these teams met, the Seahawks rushed for 171 yards in what was a close game in Arizona. Back to the Cardinals' offensive line: Rosen has been sacked 39 times despite starting just 12 games, while the team averages a league-low 3.8 yards per carry. These are not promising figures when going on the road to the toughest place to play in the league.
Josh Weinfuss, **ESPN.com**: Seahawks 31, Cardinals 10
Weinfuss: The Seahawks are trending up, while the Cardinals are trending down. Sunday will also be a battle of Seattle's No. 1 rushing offense against the Cardinals' 32nd-ranked rushing defense. The first meeting was close, with the Seahawks winning 20-17, but a lot has changed since Week 4. On top of all that, a loss would give the Cardinals the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
Brady Henderson, **ESPN.com**: Seahawks 27, Cardinals 13
Henderson: An upset for the Cardinals as 13.5-point underdogs would be plausible if the Seahawks decided to rest some of their starters now that they've secured a playoff spot. But Pete Carroll made it clear this week that his team is keeping its foot on the gas, opting to try to maintain the momentum it has built while winning five of the last six games.
Pete Prisco, **CBSSports.com**: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 10
Prisco: The Seahawks are going to the playoffs, so they might rest some guys, who are a bit banged up. But Pete Carroll likes to play to win, so figuring it out is the hard part. Does it really matter against the worst team in the league? Seahawks will win big.
**BleacherReport.com**: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 13
BR: The Cards hung with the Seahawks in a 20-17 home loss before Seattle got hot back in September, but these teams have moved in different directions since. Besides, this game is in a different site, and only one team wants to win anyway.
Jim Moore, **710Sports.com**: Seahawks 34, Cardinals 9
Moore: I've stopped being skeptical about this team. If they can beat that Kansas City team with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, they can beat anyone anywhere anytime. As much as I'd never trade Russell Wilson, I wouldn't trade the coaching staff for any other team's either.
Bob Condotta, **Seattle Times**: Seahawks 23, Cardinals 6
Condotta: This game doesn't figure to be a work of art with Seattle having a playoff bid clinched and Arizona ending one of the worst seasons in its history. And the Seahawks could do some selective resting of players. But also expect Pete Carroll to do what it takes to win the game — a 10-win season, assuring the fifth seed (you never know how valuable that could be down the road) and simply wanting to beat Arizona in Seattle for the first time since 2014 figures to be enough to propel the Seahawks to a win.
Mike Vorel, **Seattle Times**: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 13
Vorel: This shouldn't come as a shock, but you need to score points to win games. Nobody in the NFL scores fewer points than the Arizona Cardinals. They're 3-12, in large part, because they rank dead last in the league in both rushing offense and passing offense. Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen has not thrown a touchdown pass in his last four games. The Seahawks may rest their starters to some degree, but Pete Carroll has made it clear that their intention is still to win the game. They will do that, handily.
Larry Stone, **Seattle Times**: Seahawks 30, Cardinals 7
Stone: The Seahawks could win this game with one starter tied behind their back. Even if Pete Carroll decides to selectively rest some of his regulars – a wise idea – Arizona is a woeful team that will be easy pickings for Seattle under any circumstances. The Seahawks actually have something to play for – the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Cardinals will almost certainly be ushering out their first-year head coach, Steve Wilks, after this game.
Matt Calkins, **Seattle Times**: Seahawks 24, Cardinals 10
Calkins: I don't think there's any chance the Cardinals win, but their defensive line is decent enough to prevent Seattle from scoring every time it gets the ball. Even so, don't expect much suspense as the Seahawks lock up the fifth seed out of the NFC.
Kenny Mayne, ESPN Personality, 'Sportscenter' Host, Kent Native & **Seattle Times** Celebrity Guesser: Seahawks 25, Cardinals 11
Mayne: Off memory, there has never been a 25-11 game. It's due. I'm more certain Dickson will drop kick a field goal from 65 yards in garbage time.
More Picks From Around The Web
- All eight experts at CBSSports.com pick the Seahawks to win.
- All five writers at USA Today take the Seahawks this weekend.
- All nine polled at ESPN.com predict a Seattle win.
- Michael David-Smith and Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com each predict a Seahawks win.
The Seahawks face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium for Week 9 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at photos from previous games between the two teams.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Arizona Cardinals' Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks' Fred Thomas (22), Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasn't enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs (24) intercepts a pass from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer in the second quarter Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. Seahawks' Reggie Williams, lower left, and Jeff George, far right, watch as Cardinals' Frank Sanders (81), Jason McAddley, top left, and Steve Bush, right rear, defend. It was the second interception of the half for Plummer. (AP Photo/Rob Schumacher)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as it went on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander dives into the end zone from the one-yard line for a touchdown with Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson defending during the third quarter, in Seattle, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005. Alexander scored four touchdowns in the 37-12 win over the Cardinals. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner loses control of the ball but regains control as he is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Darryl Tapp during the fourth quarter of a football game in Seattle, in this Sept. 17, 2006 file photo. One week after Warner was named NFC offensive player of the week in Arizona's season-opening victory over San Francisco, he was blamed, in part, by his coach for the offense's struggles in Sunday's 21-10 loss at Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart, center, gets a pass off as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks' Patrick Kerney, left, and Darryl Tapp in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 23-20. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals' Ralph Brown (20) knocks the ball away from intended receiver Seattle Seahawks' Koren Robinson in the end zone in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals in action against the Seattle Seahawks, November 15, 2009.
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch (24) leaves Arizona Cardinals' Greg Toler in the dust on a first-half run in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 22-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Sidney Rice, left, runs on a 23-yard pass reception as Arizona Cardinals' Kerry Rhodes (25) is kept back by Seahawks' Anthony McCoy, right, and Zach Miller in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 13-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb (4) gets off a pass as Seattle Seahawks' Jason Jones (90) closes in after getting past Cardinals' Adam Snyder (68) during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-16. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks' Zach Miller, right, makes a catch for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Curtis Taylor (37) is near in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Michael Floyd, right, as Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) looks on in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Brittan Golden (10) is hit by Seattle Seahawks cornerback DeAndre Elliott (21) and defensive back Neiko Thorpe (27) during the second half of a football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Referee Walt Coleman tosses the coin before an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Mike Davis (27) dives in for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker (36) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches the football in the end zone during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. The touchdown was later ruled incomplete. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 27-13. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) rushes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny heads for the end zone with a 62-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
