The Associated Press
Bob Baum
GLENDALE, Ariz.–The Seattle Seahawks must love the desert.
They’ve beaten coach Bruce Arians’ Cardinals three of the past four times they’ve played there.
The exception was last season’s excruciating 6-6 tie–a Sunday night game when Arizona and Seattle both missed chip-shot field goals that would have won the game in overtime.
“It was old-time football,” Arians recalled.
“I’ve never been in a game with 97 snaps on offence and you only score six points.”
It’s the latest match-up between NFC West foes where home field doesn’t seem to mean much.
The Cardinals have won in three of its past four trips to Seattle but the Seahawks have dominated in Arizona.
The Seahawks (5-3) will be favoured again when they face the host Cardinals (4-4) tonight, with Seattle’s tough defensive front aiming to stop Adrian Peterson, who literally is carrying the offensive load since coming to the Cardinals.
With quarterback Carson Palmer out with a broken arm, Arizona is leaning on Peterson even more.
Tonight’s game comes just four days after the 32-year-old running back carried a career-high 37 times for 159 yards in the Cardinals’ 20-10 victory at San Francisco.
“I’m feeling good,” Peterson said yesterday. “My body’s feeling fresh. I’m ready to roll.
“I’m sure they are as sore as us so it’s going to be a battle of will.”
The Seahawks are coming off a home loss to Washington on Sunday.
“We took a step back last week,” admitted coach Pete Carroll. “We didn’t play like we wanted to but over the last month or so, we’ve been playing pretty good football.
“We’re moving in the right direction.”
Seattle not only has to play on short rest, but must travel to play the game.
“If you’re going to play on Thursday night, home is a huge advantage,” Arians said.
The Cardinals, whose wins have come against teams that are a combined 5-21, will need all the advantages they can muster.
The Seahawks had several players miss practice in the short week due to injuries.
Most probably will play tonight but running back Eddie Lacy (groin) and defensive end Marcus Smith (concussion) are out, and safety Earl Thomas (heel) is listed as “doubtful.”
The teams got rid of the kickers who missed those field goals in last season’s 6-6 tie–Seattle’s Stephen Hauschka and Arizona’s Chandler Catanzaro–and figured they had upgraded.
But Blair Walsh missed three field goals in Sunday’s loss to the Redskins.
And 42-year-old Phil Dawson, one of the most consistent kickers in recent years, has missed six for Arizona, equalling his misses for the previous two seasons combined.
Meanwhile, after his workload on Sunday, Peterson was in the cold tub, then did a cardio workout and some “body work” in the weight room.
“I know Tuesday was the day I’d really feel pain,” he remarked. “So yesterday [Tuesday] I was a little more sore.
“But coming in today [Wednesday], I felt good, felt fresh.”
Is Peterson ready for 30-plus carries again?
“If that’s what it takes,” he said.
