When a team is going bad, a bye week is a welcome respite.
But what about when a team is going good?
The Arizona Cardinals (6-4), who have a one-game lead over the three other teams in the NFC West, had last week off in preparation for Sunday’s divisional showdown at Seattle (5-5).
“When you’re in a rhythm, you’re playing good football as a team, you don’t want to stop,” Cardinals tight end Trey McBride said. “We’ve won three or four in a row now and it’s fun. You want to keep this thing going, you don’t want to take this break.”
For the record, the Cardinals have won four consecutive games, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15, Chicago Bears 29-9 and New York Jets 31-6 at home, and the Miami Dolphins 28-27 on the road.
One of the keys for the Cardinals has been a healthy Kyler Murray. He completed 22 of 24 passes for 266 yards two weeks ago against the Jets and also rushed for two scores.
“He’s got that look in his eye, and when he’s in that mode, he’s unstoppable,” said McBride, who has a team-high 49 receptions. “He’s playing at a really high level right now. I’m excited for him and I’m excited to continue to grow with him.”
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon called Sunday’s game a “big-time test on the road.”
“Seattle is always loud and the weather is kind of gray,” Gannon said.
The Seahawks are coming off a 20-17 victory against host San Francisco last week as quarterback Geno Smith scrambled for a 13-yard touchdown with 12 seconds remaining. Seattle snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in seven games.
“These are the most important games of your season,” Smith said. “I think the way that we came out and we fought, collectively as a unit and as a team, it just spoke to our urgency. I thought the way that we practiced all week, I knew we were going to come out and play well and get the monkey off my back.”
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said his team is treating Arizona’s visit “like a home playoff game for us.”
“Look, we’ve earned the opportunity to be fighting for the lead in the division going into the home stretch,” Macdonald said. “So, that’s the way we’re treating it. It’s very much like a playoff mindset for us at this point. Can’t afford to drop games. You want to have the right to play for these really important games in December and January. You’ve got to be able to execute and put yourself in that situation.”
The Cardinals had just one player miss practice time this week, safety Jalen Thompson (ankle). Veteran right tackle Jonah Williams (knee) was activated off injured reserve after being out since the season opener. The Seahawks were without tight ends Noah Fant (groin) and Brady Russell (foot), wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (back), defensive end Leonard Williams (foot) and cornerback Dee Wiliams (ankle) at practice.
