Preview | Seahawks vs. Cardinals, 1:05 p.m., TV: Ch. 13

Kickoff: 1:05 p.m. TV: Ch. 13 Radio: KIRO (710 AM)

The line: Seattle by 7.

Key questions

1. What can RB Shaun Alexander take from his return to the lineup last week after missing three games? Alexander, coach Mike Holmgren said, was happy to be back last week and missed playing. He needs that kind of hunger today against a pretty good run defense. If nothing else, Alexander ran tough for the most part and showed he still has to be accounted for in games. He found the end zone and should be more fresh because Maurice Morris will get his share of playing time as well.

2. What is the difference between Matt Leinart, who quarterbacked Arizona in its win over Seattle in September, and current QB Kurt Warner? Warner is the savvy veteran who slings the ball around and has done well in putting his team in position to win. But he doesn't take hits well. Leinart is a young talent with a bright future but struggled and lost playing time before getting injured.

3. Are the Cardinals really a threat to win the NFC West? Doubtful. A Seattle victory means it holds the NFC West tiebreaker with a better division record. Arizona showed it can play with any team and have a favorable schedule, but could be missing injured stars WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald and S Adrian Wilson.

4. Which kicker is in a worse slump, Arizona's Neil Rackers or Seattle's Josh Brown? It has to be Brown, with five misses in the past four games. Rackers, a 2005 Pro Bowler, has missed two in the past three games, including a winning kick.

5. Where do the Seahawks need to show the most improvement from last week to today? Easy — special teams. Brown has to right himself, Boone Stutz needs to keep working on his snaps, and the coverage unit can't give up long returns. Ryan Plackemeier averaged 20.4 yards on seven punts.

Notable

Seahawks: The Seahawks lead the league with an opposing quarterback rating of 68.5. ... Through 12 games, Seattle has only allowed two 100-yard rushers. One was Arizona's Edgerrin James in Week 2. ... WR Bobby Engram's 72 catches are tied for ninth-most in the NFL. ... Lofa Tatupu leads the team with 90 tackles (70 solo). He also had his first interception of the season at Arizona in Week 2. Tatupu tied a team record for interceptions in a game with three last week. ... The Seahawks' 36 sacks as a team is second-most in the NFL.

Cardinals: Warner has two 300-yard games in four career starts against Seattle, but the Seahawks have a good history of harassing and hurting him. ... James aims for his third game in a row against the Seahawks with 100-plus yards and at least one TD. ... LB Karlos Dansby has three interceptions in the past four games. ... The Cardinals are 4-7 against Seattle since the Seahawks joined the NFC West in 2002.

Injury report

Seahawks: Out: WR D.J. Hackett (ankle) and CB Josh Wilson (quadriceps). Probable: DT Rocky Bernard (groin), S Mike Green (knee), LB Will Herring (hamstring) and C Chris Spencer (oblique).

Cardinals: Out: DT Ross Kolodziej (quadriceps) and S Aaron Francisco (calf). Questionable: WR Anquan Boldin (toe) and WR Larry Fitzgerald (groin). Probable: WR Jerheme Urban (heel) and QB Kurt Warner (elbow).

Last game Seahawks: Tatupu intercepted three A.J. Feeley passes, the third one with 14 seconds left in the game, to lead the Seahawks past the Philadelphia Eagles 28-24 last Sunday in Philadelphia. The Eagles had a chance to win after a long punt return, but Tatupu stepped in front of a pass over the middle to seal Seattle's fourth consecutive win. Alexander returned to the starting lineup and rushed for 65 yards and his first TD since Week 2, and Morris added a 45-yard scoring run. Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson each had a TD reception, and the Seattle defense came up with another huge goal-line stand, keeping the Eagles out of the end zone on a fourth-down play at the end of the first half.

Cardinals: Arizona got a big 27-21 win over the playoff-contending Cleveland Browns, thanks to four Browns turnovers that the Cardinals turned into 21 points. Roderick Hood had two interceptions (one he returned for a touchdown), and the Cardinals withstood 379 yards of total offense from the Browns. Warner threw a pair of TD passes.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com