Preview: Seattle vs. Arizona at Cardinals Stadium

Kickoff: Today, 1:05 p.m.
TV: Channel 13 Radio: KIRO (710 AM)
The line: Seahawks by 4.

LAST WEEK

Seahawks: The Seahawks return from a bye after beating the Dallas Cowboys 13-10 on Josh Brown's last-play, 50-yard field goal on Oct. 23.

The Seahawks were shut down by the Cowboys until Matt Hasselbeck drove Seattle 81 yards in the final two minutes. He threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ryan Hannam with 40 seconds remaining, tying it at 10-10.

Then Jordan Babineaux intercepted a pass by Drew Bledsoe and returned it 25 yards to set up Brown's kick from the Dallas 32-yard line with 5 seconds left.

It was Seattle's third straight win and poetic justice for the Cowboys' similar rally to win in Seattle last season.

Cardinals: Arizona lost to Dallas 34-13 last week. The Cardinals had just 213 yards, and Josh McCown threw two passes that were intercepted, including one Anthony Henry returned 58 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

McCown completed 16 of 33 passes for 161 yards, with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin.

LAST MEETING

On Sept. 25, Shaun Alexander rushed for 140 yards and four touchdowns as Seattle won 37-12.

Three of Alexander's TDs came in the second half as Seattle turned a 10-9 halftime lead into a blowout.

The Cardinals lost quarterback Kurt Warner to a groin injury in the first half and finished with just 266 yards. The Seattle defense also forced two turnovers.

Neil Rackers tied an NFL record with three field goals from 50 yards or longer.

Last season in Tempe, Ariz., the Cardinals' defense hassled Hasselbeck into four interceptions during Arizona's 25-17 win.

It was Hasselbeck's worst game as a pro; he hit just 14 of 41 passes for 187 yards and one TD, earning an 18.9 passer rating.

The Seahawks did not give Alexander many chances in that game, as he finished with 65 yards on 12 carries.

NOTABLE

Seahawks: Shaun Alexander leads the NFL with 12 touchdowns and is on track to record his fifth straight season with 15 or more. He is the only NFL player to do it four times. Alexander has 12 rushing TDs versus Arizona, his most versus any club. ... The Seattle offense leads the NFL with 390.3 yards, 24.4 first downs per game and 6 yards per play. ... QB Matt Hasselbeck is 3-1 in his past four games versus the NFC West, with five TD passes and one interception. ... DT Rocky Bernard is tied for second among NFL defensive tackles with a career-high 4 ½ sacks.

Cardinals: WR Anquan Boldin is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a bruised knee suffered against Dallas last week. Boldin (39 catches, 616 yards) and Larry Fitzgerald (44 catches, 611 yards) are the only NFL tandem with 35-plus catches and 600-plus yards. ... DE Bertrand Berry has 32 sacks since 2003, tied for most in the NFL with Dwight Freeney. ... DE Chike Okeafor totaled 16 ½ sacks with Seattle in 2003 and 2004. ... Karlos Dansby is the only NFL linebacker with three sacks and two interceptions. ... Neil Rackers has 11 field goals from 40-plus yards — matching his season team record. He has hit a team-record 22 consecutive field goals.

INJURY REPORT

Seahawks: WR Darrell Jackson (knee) is out; OT Wayne Hunter (hamstring) is doubtful; LB D.D. Lewis (knee) is questionable; WR Bobby Engram (ribs) is probable.

Cardinals: WR Anquan Boldin (knee) and CB Antrel Rolle (knee) are out; OG Elton Brown (knee) and WR Reggie Swinton (toe) are doubtful; TE Teyo Johnson (shin) and MLB Lance Mitchell (knee) are questionable; LB Karlos Dansby (knee), CB Eric Green (shoulder), QB Josh McCown (ribs), FB Harold Morrow (ankle), DE Chike Okeafor (wrist) and OT Oliver Ross (hand) are probable.

KEY QUESTIONS ENTERING TODAY'S GAME

Will Warner's return help Cardinals? Probably not. Kurt Warner went 0-3 as the starting quarterback, including a loss in Seattle when he injured his groin. The team went 2-2 with Josh McCown as the starter, but he had six touchdown passes and six interceptions and was sacked 11 times. In his three starts, Warner completed 63.4 percent of his passes, but he had just one TD pass and two interceptions and was sacked nine times. The Cardinals are making three injury-related changes along the line, which could cause problems similar to those Houston experienced against Seattle. As long as the running game is not working, the quarterback — whoever he is — is going to face pressure.

How much will Engram's return help Seahawks? The Seahawks' receivers had trouble against Dallas' aggressive defense, and Bobby Engram's return gives quarterback Matt Hasselbeck a receiver who knows how to create separation and get open. The key for Engram will be how his injured ribs handle the first hit, but the veteran starter's savvy should help against Arizona's aggressive defense.

Will the Seattle offense fare better than last season in Tempe? That game was the Seahawks' first look at Clancy Pendergast's multiple-look defense in Arizona, and Hasselbeck and company were not prepared for it. They have now seen it three times — and beat it twice — and know what to expect. Seattle compiled 447 yards against Arizona in the first meeting this season, and Engram's return should keep Hasselbeck confident.

Can the Seahawks finally win after their bye? The Seahawks are a confident bunch going against a struggling team, so coach Mike Holmgren should be able to break his 0-for-6 post-bye record in Seattle. After the bye last season, the Seahawks blew a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead against the Rams in Seattle. But after the Seahawks' last-second win over Dallas two weeks ago, the team is no longer expecting the worst. And that might be the biggest reason they can bust this streak.

— Chris Cluff