By the Numbers: How Seahawks Pulled Off Upset in Season Finale vs. Cardinals

The Seahawks were more bad—and partially misfortunate—than good in 2021, leading to just their third losing season in 12 years under head coach Pete Carroll. As such, their chances of going into State Farm Stadium and upsetting the playoff-bound Cardinals appeared slim at best. But that's exactly what they did this past Sunday, outgunning their division rivals to cap off an otherwise disappointing season with a 38-30 victory.

Let's pull some of the more interesting numbers from the game and see how it all went down.

Staying poised, Russell Wilson picks Cardinals apart on third down

8: That's how many third down conversions quarterback Russell Wilson accounted for on Sunday, passing for six and rushing for two. He had an EPA per dropback of 0.89 on third down, completing six of 10 passes for 146 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown strike to receiver Tyler Lockett.

Led by Poona Ford and Carlos Dunlap, Seahawks' pass rush saves best for last

10.4%: That was Seattle's pressure rate versus Arizona⁠—its second-highest mark of the entire season. With 11 combined pressures between defensive tackle Poona Ford and defensive end Carlos Dunlap, the Seahawks brought down quarterback Kyler Murray a season-high 5.0 times.

Capping off storybook finish, Rashaad Penny finds himself in more elite company

190: That's how many yards running back Rashaad Penny tallied against a middling Cardinals rush defense. Only Vikings ball carrier Dalvin Cook accumulated more yardage on the ground in a game this season, putting up 205 in a Week 14 win over the Steelers.

With free agency looming, D.J. Reed locks it down again

0: That's how many completions cornerback D.J. Reed surrendered to Cardinals receivers. Primarily lined up against pass catchers Antoine Wesley and Christian Kirk, Reed was targeted just twice all afternoon long. From Week 7 onward, the fourth-year corner allowed 16 catches on 32 targets for 160 yards, no touchdowns and an opponent passer rating of 63.1.

Wilson overcomes constant pressure, punishes aggressive Cardinals

101.4: That was Wilson's passer rating when blitzed on Sunday. Known for their hyper-aggressiveness on defense, the Cardinals sent five or more rushers at the quarterback on 13 dropbacks. Despite throwing a poor interception deep in his own territory on one of these instances, Wilson managed to complete eight of 12 passes for 112 yards and two scores in the face of pressure.

Seahawks limit damage, succeed in containing Murray

5: That's how many times Murray ran the ball, falling below his average of 6.28 rush attempts per game this season. Thanks to their ability to consistently win at the line of scrimmage, the Seahawks kept the third-year quarterback in the pocket for most of the game. He finished the day with 35 yards on the ground, with only one of his scrambles resulting in a first down.

Seahawks eliminate Chandler Jones from equation, finish off Cardinals in fourth quarter

0: That's how many pressures Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones recorded in the fourth quarter. He had four through the first three quarters of the game, including a strip-sack that led to a touchdown for defensive end Zach Allen, but the Seahawks buckled down and kept the two-time All-Pro off of Wilson as the offense scored 14 points in the frame to seal their season-ending victory.