Cardinals’ playoff hopes fade after costly loss to Seahawks

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Arizona Cardinals are facing a harsh reality: Their postseason dreams are slipping away.

A critical 30-18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday marked Arizona's third consecutive defeat, sending their playoff chances plummeting as the team struggles through its worst stretch of the season.

Arizona opened the game on a high note, with Kyler Murray connecting on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Michael Wilson during the first drive. However, the momentum quickly evaporated. Two first-half interceptions by Murray led directly to Seattle touchdowns, setting the tone for a frustrating afternoon.

Murray, who finished with 259 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, took responsibility for the costly mistakes.

"I feel like I let the team down today...self-explanatory," Murray said. "I can't do that."

The Cardinals' miscues extended beyond Murray's turnovers. A holding penalty against left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. erased a crucial fourth-down conversion late in the first half, forcing a punt. Later, a missed 40-yard field goal by Chad Ryland squandered a chance to close the gap in the fourth quarter.

On defense, Arizona struggled to contain the Seahawks' ground game, allowing a season-high 174 rushing yards, 134 of which came from Zach Charbonnet, who also scored twice.

Once riding high atop the NFC West with a 6-4 record, the Cardinals (6-7) have unraveled since their bye week. Their current three-game skid has left them two games behind the Seahawks (8-5), who now hold the divisional tiebreaker after sweeping the season series.

The loss felt like a must-win for Arizona. While four games remain, catching up in the division appears increasingly unlikely.

"It's tough, obviously, when you lose to a divisional opponent," said linebacker Mack Wilson. "But we've still got four games left, still got a lot of ball left."

Head coach Jonathan Gannon acknowledged the urgency of the situation.

"Disappointing loss...didn't play our best ball there," Gannon said. "I’ve got to find some answers because we haven’t played great the past few weeks."

The Cardinals now face a pivotal stretch, needing to win out and hope for help from other teams to keep their playoff aspirations alive.

With mounting questions about execution on both sides of the ball, the team is running out of time to turn things around.