By Bob Baum
The Associated Press
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Seattle Seahawks sure look like Super Bowl material again after dominating Arizona with a stifling defense and dynamic offense.
Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, Seattle set a franchise record with 596 yards of offense and the streaking Seahawks closed in on another NFC West title with a 35-6 romp over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night.
Seattle (11-4) moved into a tie with Arizona (11-4) for first in the NFC West and the Seahawks hold the tiebreaker by virtue of two wins over the Cardinals.
Wilson had the longest run of his career (55 yards) and matched the longest pass of his career (80) in the Seahawks’ fifth straight victory.
Marshawn Lynch sat out the first quarter with what the team called an “upset stomach,” then came in to score on a 6-yard run in the second quarter and a spectacular, multiple tackle-breaking 79-yard scoring run in Seattle’s 21-point fourth quarter.
After his long run, Lynch spun around in the air and grabbed his crotch facing the field before falling to the turf.
A Seattle win at home over St. Louis in next weekend’s regular-season finale would clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the defending Super Bowl champs.
Arizona’s only hope of winning the division is that the Seahawks lose to the Rams and the Cardinals win at San Francisco. Otherwise, Arizona will be relegated to a wild-card spot and a first-round game on the road.
The Cardinals had their most one-sided loss of the season and their only one at home in eight games.
Third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley, pressed into action with an injury to Drew Stanton in the previous game, was 18 for 216 yards and an interception against a Seattle defense that ranks No. 1 in the NFL and has allowed 33 points in its last five games.
Arizona hoped to stay close and keep it low-scoring with its usually tough defense.
But Seattle ripped it apart through the air and on the ground.
Wilson completed 20 of 31 for 339 yards, including touchdown passes of 80 and 20 yards to tight end Luke Willson. Lynch gained 113 yards in 10 carries, and Wilson ran for 88 yards in six attempts.
The blowout would have been worse had Steven Hauschka not missed three field goals.
Arizona’s only scores were field goals of 27 and 32 yards by Chandler Catanzaro. The Cardinals’ only scores the last two games are six field goals by the rookie kicker.
Just as he did in Seattle’s victory 19-3 over Arizona a month ago, Wilson did a great deal of the Seahawks’ damage with his feet.
His 55-yard run on the final play of the first quarter moved the Seahawks past midfield, but Seattle stalled and Hausschka’s 52-yard field goal was wide right.
Arizona took over at its 42 and, with the help of two Seattle penalties and Arizona moved in to get Catanzaro’s first field goal and lead 3-0.
On the second play after Arizona’s kickoff, Willson got behind the Cardinals’ defense, Wilson lofted the ball in perfectly and the 80-yard touchdown play put Seattle up 7-3 with 7:03 to play in the half.
Another Wilson scramble, of 22 yards, helped set up Lynch’s 6-yard touchdown run that made it 14-3 3:41 before the half.
It stayed 14-3 until the fourth quarter, when the bottom fell out for the Cardinals in what had been termed the biggest regular-season game in franchise history.
Then the three late TDs made it a blowout.
