Just a few weeks ago, the Cardinals were one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winning four straight games before their bye week to catapult themselves to the top of the NFC West. But life in the league comes at you fast, and since this week off, Kyler Murray and the offense have gone cold, holding the Seahawks to just six points at Lumen Field two weeks ago.

It’s hard to imagine Arizona being as desperate as an NFL team, needing just one win to keep dwindling playoff hopes alive, and unable to find a little bigger spark at home on Sunday. Murray will have a full complement of receivers, and the ability to do additional self-scouting should provide the opportunity to make appropriate adjustments to counter what Seattle dropped just two weeks ago, including mixing in more bootleg actions, to get the quarterback out of the pocket and test the edges a little more with the running game.

However, the Seahawks have won games without Geno Smith and their offense has come close to firing on all cylinders, and the veteran quarterback has played quite well in Glendale in the past. In his last two starts there, he has completed more than 67 percent of his pass attempts with four touchdown passes and one interception, helping the team to two road wins.

With the two teams combining for just 22 points in Week 12 and the roof set to open on a sunny day in the desert, more points will likely be needed to secure a win this time around. With Ken Walker III unavailable, this task may become a little more difficult for Seattle, but at the same time, Zach Charbonnet is coming off an impressive run in New Jersey and the weather conditions may be more suitable for Smith to impress DK Metcalf. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett give the NFC West leaders a significant advantage in this must-win contest. -Corbin Smith

Corbin’s Pick to Click: Zach Charbonnet

The impact of Walker’s absence cannot be understated as he is one of the NFL’s most explosive defenders and has the ability to hit any ball the distance, a trait that Charbonnet cannot physically match. But in a strange way, Charbonnet’s more physical, aggressive style might be better suited to Grubb’s offense right now with a suspect offensive line up front. Last week, his no-nonsense approach produced better results than Walker, as he averaged seven yards per carry and rumbled into the end zone for a game-winning eight-yard touchdown after tackling multiple tackles.

As a starter this year, Charbonnet rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns in wins over the Patriots and Dolphins, averaging a whopping four yards per carry, while also adding eight receptions out of the backfield. When he’s had a lot of playing time, he’s consistently found the end zone and found ways to create despite subpar block defense in front of him, forcing 12 missed tackles and averaging over 4.5 yards per carry after contact in those two starts. Ironically, given a defense with smaller linebackers like Mack Wilson and Kyzir White, his size and penchant for punishment could be a boon in this particular matchup.

Corbin’s prediction: Seahawks 27, Cardinals 19

Seattle dominated the first game because of its defense. This unit has shown no signs of slowing down since then, putting the Seahawks in a perfect position heading into this game.

Although Seattle’s offensive output has declined significantly since the bye, the Seahawks are allowing 10 fewer points over the same period. With the help of defensive touchdowns, they only score three fewer points. Therefore, the offense must step up or the defense must continue to put points on the board.

The Cardinals didn’t show anything in their game against the Minnesota Vikings last week, indicating that there will be a huge difference in this contest. Quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner have been more productive on the ground, but Seattle’s run defense has been tops in the league over the last three weeks. There’s no reason to believe that will change in Week 14.

With Kenneth Walker III out, Zach Charbonnet could be effective against Arizona. Charbonnet’s downhill running style could punish Arizona’s front seven, and an established running game would make all the difference for Seattle’s offense. With an improved defense, a good performance from quarterback Geno Smith and the Seahawks’ offense would be a huge step toward victory. -Connor Benintendi

Connor’s Pick to Click: CB Devon Witherspoon

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon is primed for a big game. Witherspoon has no takeaways and no sacks so far this season, but has created many plays for others (e.g. safety Coby Bryant’s pick-six against Arizona in Week 12). He was all over the field but didn’t have the expected impact on the box score.

The bold prediction for this game is that Witherspoon takes a pick-six, which would be Seattle’s third in three games. There are only so many plays the former No. 5 overall second-year pick can make for others before Witherspoon has to get his own game-changer.

Connor’s score prediction: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 12

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