The 2013 NFL schedule makers weren’t thinking too clearly when selecting the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals to face one another in primetime. Beneath the seemingly shallow surface is a tale of two defenses capable of shutting their opponent out in any football game, and a couple quarterbacks with a lot to prove in week 7 on NFL Thursday Night Football tonight on NFL Network (not ESPN) at a start time of 8:25pm. You can watch Thursday Night Football featuring the Seahawks vs Cardinals online free live streaming by following the links presented below.
To preview tonight’s game, the Seahawks enter the divisional rivalry with a 5-1 record, tied for tops in the NFC, while the Cardinals are two games back at 3-3. The NFC West could end up a lot tighter tonight if the Cardinals can pull off the upset, and technically history is on their side as the Seahawks have dropped their last three games playing in the Arizona desert.
Last week Seattle won a tight 20-13 game against the Titans after dropping the previous game to the then-hot Colts. Marshawn Lynch wasn’t stellar on the ground with 77 yards, but he did score twice and amassed even more yards through the air at 78. Seattle fans will take over 150 total yards from Lynch every single game with a smile on their collective faces.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been under the microscope a bit in his sophomore session given his numbers aren’t quite as strong as last season’s. Does that really matter when you’re putting wins on the board? Wilson isn’t putting up the big passing numbers, but he did run and pass for a combined 318 yards last week and that helped get the job done.
Defensively the Seahawks have been one of the best squads in the league, especially at home where a screaming crowd has helped them to 11 straight victories. They have allowed only 15.7 points per game, good enough for third in the NFL, and surrendered only 290.2 yards per game, second best.
Special teams are another matter for Seattle. It’s one thing to give up a touchdown to the opposition when they block a field goal as that happens from time to time. To allow that in two consecutive games is inexcusable so I would expect clean play from the special teams unit tonight.
Arizona is also undefeated at home this season and put a stingy defense on the field lead by Calais Campbell and Patrick Peterson. They had gone two and a half games without giving up a touchdown before San Francisco tore into them last week in a 32-20 win. They gave up 149 yards on the ground, a season high, as were the 32 points scored against. Their previous averages were 19 points per game and 79 yards rushing against.
Quarterback Carson Palmer has brought back moving the chains to Arizona for the first time since Kurt Warner retired, but he’s been plagued by bad throws resulting in untimely interceptions. Two last week might have cost them the game against the 49ers, and he’s tossed nine picks over his past four games.
Coach Bruce Arians would just assume Palmer throw for 200 yards rather than 300 if he can avoid the interceptions. With a poor running game still hampering Arizona’s offense, the pressure is on Palmer to make plays and get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, expected to play tonight with a sore hamstring.
These teams are more evenly matched than their records suggest, except for the running game and Marshawn Lynch that gives Seattle an advantage. They’re on the road and the Cardinals are perfect at home, so I think whoever wins will do so by a score or less.
Tonight’s NFL Thursday Night Football game is televised exclusively on NFL Network with an 8:25pm EST / 5:25pm PST start time from Glendale, Arizona. NFL Network does offer high definition so please check your local listings for exactly what channel to watch Thursday Night Football live on.
NFL Network subscribers can watch NFL Thursday Night Football online free live streaming here on a variety of mobile devices including laptops and cell phones. Not all providers offer this online stream option for NFL Network so check your provider against the list. NFL.com also offers a simulcast that regularly checks in on the game but doesn’t provide a continuous uninterrupted stream of the action.
Tonight’s game is also available to watch on DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket, including live online streaming provided by adding the Max upgrade, if you’re a subscriber to that service or were able to get lucky and secure free access through a promotion.
