Seahawks vs. Cardinals: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

The fate of the NFC West may very well come down to a Week 16 clash between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Night Football.

Playoff implications are plentiful in Sunday's showdown, as these are the division's two remaining postseason contenders. Arizona has already clinched a playoff berth and holds the division lead at 11-3; however, Seattle holds the tiebreaker, having defeated the Cardinals earlier this season.

A victory here would be huge for Arizona. Not only would the Cardinals clinch the NFC West, but they would also gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A win for the Seahawks would put them in the division lead with plenty of chances to clinch a playoff spot, pending the results of other contests around the league. Although, Seattle wouldn't be able to clinch the NFC West, or even a first-round bye, until Week 17.

With the outcome of this game affecting most NFC teams currently in the mix for a playoff berth, expect many eyes to be fixated on this compelling contest.

Completing the Sweep

A season sweep of this series for Seattle puts the team on the verge of yet another division title, and possibly home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If the Seahawks intend to bring that scenario to fruition, looking back at their Week 12 matchup against Arizona is the key to their success in Week 16.

With Drew Stanton at the helm for the Cardinals, the Seahawks did an excellent job stuffing the run and forcing the backup quarterback to attempt to beat them through the air. Andre Ellington was held to just 24 yards on 10 carries, and the Cardinals averaged only 3.2 yards per carry as a team.

Due to their inability to establish any kind of a ground game, Stanton was forced to throw 26 times. He completed just 14 passes for 149 yards and an interception en route to a 19-3 victory by Seattle.

The Seahawks have maintained their stout defensive play since, and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason is one of the many to realize how well they have been playing. He responded to a Cardinals fan on Twitter asking why he picked Seattle to win:

This time around, Arizona is without both Stanton and Ellington; however, the same tactics apply. Kerwynn Williams is starting at running back for the injured Ellington, and he'll need to be accounted for. He's been running well of late, averaging 5.3 yards per carry against the Kansas City Chiefs and 5.0 yards per rush against the St. Louis Rams in his last two games.

However, his status must be monitored this week, as he's listed as questionable due to a knee injury and was limited at practice Thursday, according to R.J. White of CBSSports.com.

Stopping the run will be crucial for Seattle due to third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley getting the start for Arizona. This is Lindley's first start since 2012, and he didn't exactly fare well in a brief showing in Week 15 against the Rams, completing four of his 10 passing attempts for 30 yards. He hasn't proved he can move the ball down the field, but he'll be forced into that situation without a reliable running game.

Remaining on Top

If the Cardinals are to remain atop the NFC West, they have their work cut out for them. After all, not too many division leaders are starting their third-string quarterback and running back at this time of year. Well, that's the case here.

Arizona's defense has played well enough lately and is only giving up 0.1 more points per game than Seattle, as both teams maintain two of the NFL's top three scoring defenses. The Cardinals did keep the Seahawks to 19 points the last time they met, and continuing that trend would at least give the team a chance for success.

That's where we run into an issue: How on earth is Arizona going to put points on the board against one of the league's best defenses? Well, it's going to take some creativity.

Head coach Bruce Arians knows offense, and he spent plenty of time with the Pittsburgh Steelers—remember those trick plays that called for passes from wide receiver Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward? Yeah, that was Arians.

That kind of creativity will be necessary against Seattle. The Cardinals will not succeed if they simply run their ball-carriers into the teeth of the Seahawks defense and rely on vanilla passing plays due to an inexperienced quarterback. This team needs to get tricky. It needs to get sneaky. That's how it will win.

Although, Arians does appear to have confidence in his quarterback's arm, according to Seattle's official Twitter account:

We'll see what comes of that, but catching an opponent off guard is always a quick way to score points in the NFL. That's exactly what the Cardinals will need to do if they are to compete in the most important game of the season.

When: Sunday, December 21

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Betting Info (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 36.5
• Spread: Seahawks -9

Team Injury Reports

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

The Seahawks enter the game with arguably one of the best defenses in the NFL. Ranked first against the pass, fifth against the run and second in points allowed, they are a formidable opponent for any of the league's offenses. Taking Arizona's injury woes on that side of the ball into consideration, moving the ball will be an issue.

While Arizona's defense certainly isn't any kind of a slouch—it's ranked sixth against the run, 29th against the pass and third in points allowed—it faces a Seahawks offense with Russell Wilson at the helm. Wilson offers the added dynamic of being able to run with the football, and he rattled off 73 yards on just 10 carries the last time these teams met.

When it all comes down to it, Seattle simply has more experience and more versatility on the offensive side of the ball, and it will be the team to circumvent the opposing defense and come away with a crucial victory in the penultimate week of the regular season.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Cardinals 13

Playoff scenarios courtesy of CBSSports.com and current as of December 18.