SEATTLE — Early in the third quarter of Sunday’s game, the Seahawks defense got a three-and-out on Arizona’s first offensive series. Seattle’s coaches called for a return scheme on the Cardinals’ punt, hoping to get good field position.
DeShawn Shead ended up giving the Seahawks great field position.
Taking advantage of a major Arizona miscue — the Cardinals only had 10 men on the field — Shead came through virtually untouched to block the punt. The loose ball was scooped up by Arizona’s Rob Housler, but he was slammed to the turf by Seattle’s Cooper Helfet, giving the Seahawks a first down at the Cardinal 24-yard line.
Coming off the line of scrimmage, “I was so free, I didn’t know what to do,” Shead said. “I was thinking I probably could’ve taken it off (punter Drew Butler’s) foot.”
As Arizona lined up prior to the snap, Shead was supposed to block one of the Cardinals to set up Seattle’s punt return. But as Shead explained, “I was supposed to hold somebody up (with a block), but I didn’t have anybody to hold up on. So (I thought) I might as well go block the punt.”
Shead knew the Cardinals were missing one player, “and I thought they were going to bring somebody else in. But then they snapped the ball,” he said.
He ended up with the first blocked punt of his football career and, for his trouble, a split lip. Though Shead blocked the kick cleanly, Butler’s foot came up and kicked him in the face, leaving him with a split lip.
“It’s definitely a great war wound,” Shead said.
Helfet’s big hit
Shead’s blocked punt was the first of two Seattle hightlights on the same play. The second was Helfet’s tackle of Housler, who had picked up the ball and started upfield. Housler was grabbed by Helfet, hoisted and then slammed to the ground.
After making a block at the line of scrimmage, Helfet said he heard the thump of the punt being blocked. He quickly got to his feet, saw Housler chasing the ball, and raced in to make the tackle.
“I didn’t know what I was doing on the tackle, but it looked pretty cool apparently,” Helfet said with a grin. “It was like a body slam.”
Teammates Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas immediately came up to offer congratulations. “And I thought, ‘All right, nice.’ Any time you get credit from Kam Chancellor for a tackle, that’s quite an achievement,” Helfet said.
Too many sacks
The good news was, the Seahawks were able to score 19 points and get a convincing win over the NFC West-leading Cardinals.
The bad news was, Seattle’s offensive line — missing starters Max Unger at center and James Carpenter at left guard, both out with injuries — managed just 124 rushing yards on 29 carries, with 40 yards coming on one Russell Wilson scramble. Wilson was also sacked seven times for 42 yards.
“It could’ve been a lot better,” said Seahawks guard J.R. Sweezy of the offensive line play. “We’ll take a look at the film, see where the mistakes happened, and we’ll correct them.”
The bottom line, he added, “is that we’ve got to keep that guy (Wilson) clean.”
Seahawks welcome Hatch
The Seahawks welcomed a special visitor on the field before Sunday’s game. Nate Hatch, a survivor of the recent shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School, was an invited guest and had a chance to meet with Carroll.
“It was great to meet Nate,” Carroll said. “We’ve communicated a little bit and we’ve been connected to the whole Marysville Pilchuck school … and it was great. He was really excited to be down there. His mom was there and it was really fun to have him. I’m sure he had a big day.”
Injury update
The Seahawks appear to have come out of Sunday’s game with no significant new injuries, which is especially good news for a team playing on Thursday this week. Receivers Jermaine Kearse and Ricardo Lockette both needed attention from trainers at one point, but returned to the game and were OK, Carroll said.
The only injury, according to Carroll, was tight end Cooper Helfet turning his ankle on a catch late in the game. “I’m a little banged up, but it’s a football game,” Helfet said. “I’ll be all right.”
Running back Marshawn Lynch missed two series early in the game, and while it was announced in the press box that his absence was related to a back injury, Carroll clarified that Lynch was “sick to his stomach. He was about ready to throw up over on the sidelines, so he had to wait it out.”
Guard James Carpenter, who was listed as questionable, did not play for a third straight game because of an ankle injury.
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