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Leinart, James help Cardinals surprise Seahawks

Dec 11, 2006 - 12:18 AM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Matt Leinart and Edgerrin James are trying to author up some positives in what otherwise has been a dismal season for the Arizona Cardinals.

Leinart threw for two touchdowns and James rushed for 115 yards and a score as the Cardinals posted a surprising 27-21 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Thanks to the big days from Leinart and James, the Cardinals (4-9) put together consecutive wins for the first time this season.

"Beating a team like Seattle doesn't set the tone for the future but it lets us know we can beat a team like that, a Super Bowl team," Leinart said. "All year we have felt like we can play with anybody if we just get our act together."

The Cardinals also delayed a celebration for the Seahawks (8-5), who could have clinched a third straight NFC West title with a victory.

Neil Rackers' 40-yard field goal with 3:30 remaining had given the Cardinals a 27-21 lead, leaving the Seahawks enough time to mount a final drive.

On 4th-and-20 from the Arizona 25 with just over a minute remaining, Matt Hasselbeck completed a pass over the middle to Deion Branch, who came up just inches shy of the first down. Hasselbeck was sacked by defensive end Chike Okeafor on the previous play.

"It was close and they are all judgment plays," Hasselbeck said. "The guy on the left spots where he thinks the guy on the right spots where he thinks. All I wanted was a measurement. We were out of options. I didn't look like a first down to me but it was worth a check. A lot was on the line and they were right."

"They executed it beautifully," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "When you are talking about inches to get the thing I would have liked him to catch the ball then go north or south. It is hard for him to know what exactly he needs. He is just trying to make a play and do the right thing. It was close. We had the right play called."

Hasselbeck completed 20-of-28 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. His two-yard score to Darrell Jackson with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter gave the Seahawks a 21-17 lead.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Leinart put the Cardinals ahead for good when he found Larry Fitzgerald along the left side for a five-yard touchdown. Fitzgerald had seven catches for 79 yards.

Leinart went 21-of-34 for 232 yards with an interception.

"I think he has played well," Cardinals coach Dennis Green said. "He is a great competitor and throws the ball. He comes out to put a dagger in them. He made a lot of third-down conversions in the game early. He did an outstanding job, the receivers caught the ball well, we protected well and we were also able to punch some holes running the football."

It was an impressive start for Leinart, who lofted a 56-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson on the Cardinals' first offensive play.

"It was a designed play that I have never even thrown in practice," Leinart said. "I never hit Bryant (Johnson), I always dump it off to Larry Fitzgerald. I saw the one-on-one and Bryant made a great play and probably set the tone for the rest of the game."

The Seahawks had turnovers on two of their first three possessions with Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander both losing fumbles.

"We were just too careless with the football," Holmgren said. "That was pretty much the game. We had better emotion, I wouldn't compare this with our last road game loss. We started the game and fumbled the ball and you are going to lose if you do that as many times as we did."

Alexander was held in check, rushing for 76 yards on 22 carries. He had rushed for 291 yards in his last two games. The Cardinals turned Alexander's fumble into James' seven-yard touchdown run that made it 14-0 with 3:27 left in the first quarter.

James, who rushed for 115 yards in last Sunday's win at St. Louis, became the first Cardinal with back-to-back 100-yard games since Marcel Shipp in 2003.

"As the quarterback grows and everybody gets used to playing with each other that is what you are going to see week in and week out," James said. "A team just can't key on one thing. They have to be prepared for the deep ball of if they let us run the ball."

Less than a minute after James' score, Hasselbeck found D.J. Hackett for a 23-yard touchdown to pull the Seahawks within 14-7.

Hackett finished with four catches for 104 yards.

After Rackers kicked a 32-yard field goal with 3:14 left in the half for the Cardinals, the Seahawks were able to answer.

Hasselbeck found Nate Burleson for a five-yard score with 30 seconds left to pull the Seahawks within 17-14.