Seahawks hold off feisty Cardinals’ comeback attempt

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Sam Darnold is playing like a franchise quarterback. And Jaxon Smith-Njigba is playing like one of the best receivers in football.

On a night when the Seahawks turned what looked like a lopsided win into a nail-biter, the Darnold-to-Smith-Njigba connection helped them escape State Farm Stadium with a 23-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals thanks to Jason Myers’ 52-yard field goal as time expired.

The Seahawks shouldn’t have needed the late heroics. They led 14-3 at halftime despite three crucial mistakes. Coby Bryant fumbled an interception, fellow safety Julian Love dropped an easy pick and running back Kenneth Walker III took Seattle out of field goal range because of a taunting penalty.

Still, the Seahawks were in complete control — until late. Their vaunted defense gave up 17 straight points, allowing Arizona to tie the score with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Seattle got the ball at the 40-yard line after Arizona’s kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, and on a second-and-10 play, Darnold hit Smith-Njigba for a 22-yard gain, setting up Myers’ winner two plays later.

Smith-Njigba had 323 receiving yards entering Thursday, making it the best three-game start in franchise history. It took him a while to get going against Arizona, but he finished with 79 receiving yards on four catches. Darnold was 3-of-3 for 69 yards when targeting Smith-Njigba on passes that traveled 10 or more yards downfield in the fourth quarter. Smith-Njigba had just one such target in the first three quarters.

This is the latest chapter of wild games when the Seahawks face the Cardinals in Arizona, where Seattle is now 11-1-1 since 2013.

Here are the most important things to know from Thursday night for both teams:

Seahawks (3-1)

What to make of the QB performance: Darnold continues to show he’s an effective scrambler. That was among the reasons he had been sacked only three times over the first three games. Arizona got to him three times Thursday, but Darnold again made plays on the move. Late in the first half, he hit rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo for 32 yards on a scramble throw. On the next play, he ran for 24 yards. That drive ended with a touchdown that put Seattle up 14-3 at halftime. Darnold finished 18 of 26 for 242 yards and a touchdown.

Turning point: After the questionable fumble on Bryant’s interception return, the Seahawks caught an officiating break. Late in the first half, left tackle Charles Cross wasn’t called for an obvious false start on a third-and-2 play that Seattle converted via a Darnold throw to Cooper Kupp. Had it been called, Seattle would have faced third-and-7 from the 32, potentially leading to a long field goal try. Instead, Darnold hit tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead on the next play.

Trend to watch: Has Josh Jobe overtaken Riq Woolen as the No. 2 corner? When Seattle brought in safety D’Anthony Bell as an extra defensive back, Woolen came off the field, not Jobe. This might have been a few weeks in the making. Coach Mike Macdonald wouldn’t commit to Woolen starting in Week 2 after the former Pro Bowler committed two costly miscues late in Seattle’s season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. But with Devon Witherspoon sidelined, Woolen remained in an every-down role until Witherspoon returned Thursday. Woolen was penalized three times against Arizona while Jobe continued his excellent start. — Brady Henderson

Next game: vs. Buccaneers (4:05 p.m. ET, Oct. 5)

Cardinals (2-2)

After Marvin Harrison Jr. came down with a 16-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, the second-year receiver took a knee to celebrate.

The Cardinals had been waiting for that type of play from Harrison all game, but it wasn’t enough.

The Cardinals’ offense — Harrison included — didn’t find a rhythm until the fourth quarter, when Arizona tied the score at 20 with 28 seconds left. But kicker Chad Ryland’s penalty on the ensuing kickoff led to Seattle hitting a game-winning field goal as time expired to win a crucial NFC West battle.

Until midway through the fourth quarter, very little worked for Arizona. The run game was stifled. The pass game was short. Yards were hard to gain, and points were even rarer. And, yet again, it was the Cardinals’ defense that kept Arizona within striking distance, allowing just two touchdowns and preventing the outcome from being one-sided.

Then, as the clock ticked under 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, everything that wasn’t working for the Cardinals’ offense suddenly worked. Quarterback Kyler Murray led Arizona on two touchdown drives, the one that culminated with Harrison’s touchdown and a second that ended with a 7-yard reception by running back Emari Demercado.

Unfortunately for Arizona, it lost its second straight NFC West matchup.

What to make of the QB performance: Murray did what he could with what he had available to him. Both of his interceptions were on throws to Harrison, and the receiver contributed to both of them. He stopped running the route on one and bobbled the ball before it was picked on the other. However, after going 1-of-5 when targeting Harrison in the first half, the duo was 5-of-5 for 58 yards after the break. Murray finished 27 of 41 passing for 200 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Stat to know: Harrison’s touchdown in the fourth quarter was the 10th of his two-year career, and it was the most by a Cardinal through their first two seasons since John Brown had 12 in 2014 and 2015. — Josh Weinfuss

Next game: vs. Titans (4:05 p.m. ET, Oct. 5)