Arizona visits Seattle to take on the Seahawks at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Here's what to look for:
THE SKINNY
This is a critical NFC West match-up for the Cardinals. Having already lost to San Francisco, Arizona can ill afford another early-season loss to a divisional foe. This isn’t the same Seahawks team that dominated the NFC West for years, but Qwest Field is a difficult environment to play in. The crowd is loud and the weather — there’s a 30 percent chance of rain Sunday — can be a factor. One other consideration: Next week, the Cardinals play at the New York Giants. If they want to avoid being 2-4, a win Sunday may be a necessity.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
1. The Seahawks are a different team when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is healthy — they’re 2-1 with him, 0-2 without him — and he’s back after missing a couple of weeks with a broken rib. Look for the Seahawks to spread the field against the Cardinals’ 32nd ranked pass defense, and for Hasselbeck to throw often to tight end John Carlson. Arizona has had trouble covering quality tight ends, and Carlson is a good one.
2. The Cardinals can’t afford to give Hasselbeck time to throw. The best antidote: A steady stream of blitzes from strong safety Adrian Wilson, who obliterated the Seahawks’ quarterback with a couple of hits last year.
3. Seattle defensive end Patrick Kerney is off to a slow start with just two quarterback sacks in four games, but he’s traditionally given Arizona fits. Kerney had three sacks in Seattle’s 34-21 win last December, and he has 9.5 sacks in six career games against the Cardinals. Left tackle Mike Gandy may need help in containing Kerney, or Kurt Warner could have a long day.
STARTING LINEUPS
Cardinals offense
WR Larry Fitzgerald
LT Mike Gandy
LG Reggie Wells
C Lyle Sendlein
RG Deuce Lutui
RT Levi Brown
TE Stephen Spach
WR Anquan Boldin
QB Kurt Warner
RB Tim Hightower
FB Dan Kreider
Cardinals defense
DE Calais Campbell
DT Bryan Robinson
DT Darnell Dockett
OLB Chike Okeafor
MLB Karlos Dansby
MLB Gerald Hayes
OLB Clark Haggans
RCB Bryant McFadden
LCB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
SS Adrian Wilson
FS Antrel Rolle
Seahawks offense
WR Nate Burleson
LT Brandon Frye
LG Mansfield Wrotto
C Chris Spencer
RG Max Unger
RT Ray Willis
TE John Carlson
WR2 T.J. Houshmandzadeh
QB Matt Hasselbeck
FB Justin Griffith
RB Julius Jones
Seahawks defense
LDE Cory Redding
LDT Brandon Mebane
RDT Colin Cole
RDE Patrick Kerney
OLB1 Will Herring
MLB Lofa Tatupu
OLB2 Aaron Curry
LCB Josh Wilson
RCB Ken Lucas
SS Deon Grant
FS Jordan Babineau
