Seattle Seahawks: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Cardinals in Week 17

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 30: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks and Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals hug after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 during their game at CenturyLink Field on December 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 30: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks and Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals hug after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 during their game at CenturyLink Field on December 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 30: Sebastian Janikowski #11 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after kicking a 33 yard field goal to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 during their game at CenturyLink Field on December 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 30: Sebastian Janikowski #11 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after kicking a 33 yard field goal to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 during their game at CenturyLink Field on December 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

The Seattle Seahawks managed to sneak past the Arizona Cardinals for a Week 17 win to secure the fifth seed in the NFC.

That was a lot closer than it should have ever been. The Seattle Seahawks pulled out a 27-24 victory against the Arizona Cardinals on a last second field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. This is the second time in three weeks where the Seahawks struggled against a divisional opponent. Unlike Week 15 though, when they lost 26-23 to the San Francisco 49ers, this time the Seahawks managed to get the win.

The win itself wasn’t of much consequence. While it did get Seattle to 10-6 on the year, the Minnesota Vikings lost and they were the only team that could have jumped Seattle for the fifth seed. At least there weren’t any major injuries for the Seahawks in the game.

The team did dodge a bullet when starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin went down in the first quarter. It seems like Griffin only suffered a minor ankle sprain and was held out simply as a precaution. Expect him to be back out on the field next weekend.

The Seahawks will face the fourth-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. The Cowboys also won a close game that came down to the final minutes in Week 17. This is a good matchup for the Seahawks and they have to be thrilled to have the fifth seed. Remember, Seattle already beat Dallas this year, all the way back in Week 3. Both teams have changed a lot since then, but it’s a much better matchup than the No. 3 seed, the Chicago Bears.

Seahawks fans will be looking for their team to perform a lot better during Wild Card Weekend. To do that, the team should consider the following takeaways from Week 17.