Ah, the life of a kicker. Jason Myers nailed a 52-yard walk-off field goal just minutes after missing a 53-yarder that could have put the game away, powering the Seahawks to a 23-20 win over the Cardinals in a game that turned from snooze fest to thriller in a matter of moments.
The Seahawks led 20-6 with under six minutes to go before Cardinals touchdowns sandwiched the Myers miss. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a spectacular catch to make it 20-13, and Emari Demercado tied things up.
But Sam Darnold was unfazed, finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 22-yard gain to help set up Myers’ heroics.
The game got off to a bit of a disjointed start, represented by Coby Bryant picking off Kyler Murray only to run into teammate Tyrice Knight on the return and fumble. Trey Benson recovered, and Arizona turned its good fortune into three points.
Then the Seahawks got going, and Darnold found A.J. Barner for a touchdown to cap a long drive.
The Cardinals were threatening to take the lead back when Harrison Jr. bobbled a perfect Murray pass on third and 11, and the ball landed right in the arms of Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV. The 2024 No. 4 overall pick had a big drop last week, too.
Late in the half, Zach Charbonnet powered in from 1 yard out, shrugging off several would-be tacklers to cap a seven-play, 90-yard drive. Darnold produced a pair of highlights as well: a 32-yard pass to Elijah Arroyo followed by a 24-yard scramble.
The Seahawks led 20-6 midway through the fourth quarter before the Cardinals began mounting a furious comeback, spurred by Harrison Jr.’s outstanding touchdown catch over Seattle’s top cornerback, Devon Witherspoon.
The Seahawks looked to still be in control — especially after a 36-yard completion from Darnold to Smith-Njigba on third and 6 — but Myers pushed a 53-yard field goal to the right, and the hosts were in business again. Demercado snuck out of the backfield and cruised in to tie the game.
Ultimately, though, a special teams mistake played a huge role. Chad Ryland’s kickoff landed short of the return zone, meaning Seattle got the ball at the 40. One big Smith-Njigba catch and a short Charbonnet run later, and Myers delivered.
