Cardinals' late kickoff blunder costs comeback against Seahawks
Dynamic-kickoff rule mishap sends Seattle to 23-20 walk-off win as Arizona's rally stalls at the finish.
The Arizona Cardinals’ bid to complete a dramatic comeback fell short Thursday night after a special-teams miscue cost them a chance to send the game to overtime in Seattle. Down 20-6 early in the fourth quarter, Arizona rallied with a 12-play, 57-yard drive that ended with Kyler Murray finding Emari Demercado for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game at 20-20 with 28 seconds remaining.
The ensuing kickoff by Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland was ruled to fail to reach the NFL’s required landing zone under the league’s dynamic kickoff rules instituted last season, placing Seattle at its own 40-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Seattle moved into field-goal range as Sam Darnold connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 22 yards, and Zach Charbonnet added four on the ground to set up Jason Myers for a 52-yard attempt. Myers converted, spoiling Arizona’s late rally and giving Seattle a 23-20 walk-off win and a 3-1 record.
The kickoff marked the second time in three weeks that Seattle benefited from a miscue on a kickoff. The Cardinals, who had tied the game, had hoped to send the game to overtime, but the dynamic rules placed the Seahawks in position for the winning kick. The loss also kept Seattle’s early-season momentum intact as the team moved to 3-1 on the season. ESPN’s Ben Solak reported Next Gen Stats indicated that going for two points to avoid overtime would have been the optimal move, but Arizona opted for the extra point and left overtime off the table. Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald, when asked about the dynamic kickoff rules, offered three simple words: I love it.
This loss marked the second time in three weeks that Seattle benefited from a kickoff miscue. Arizona, now 2-2, will host the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 5 as they try to regroup and rebound from the stumble.
