By Bob Condotta

The Seattle Times

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Another year when another win in Arizona may well be remembered most for who Seattle lost along the way.

Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium, the Seahawks used a no-huddle offense to move in position for a 52-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski as time ran out to take a 20-17 win, their fifth victory in the last six years in Arizona against the Cardinals.

But the lasting image of the game figures to be perennial All-Pro safety Earl Thomas being carted off the field with 8:59 left after suffering an injury to his lower left leg.

Thomas, who returned unhappily to the Seahawks the Wednesday before the season opened following a long holdout, raised his middle finger in the direction of the Seattle sideline as he was carted off with what Seahawks coach Pete Carroll later said was a lower leg fracture.

Thomas was injured when Arizona scored on a 22-yard pass from Rosen to Chad Williams with 8:59 left that tied the game at 17.

Thomas suffered a lower leg injury when he dove over Williams as Williams slid to make the catch and score. A seemingly stunned Seattle offense then went three-and-out and Arizona got the ball at its own 24 and drove to the Seahawks’ 28.

Justin Coleman’s third-down tackle of David Johnson forced Phil Dawson to attempt a 45-yard field goal that went wide right with 1:50 left.

The Seahawks then drove easily into position for Janikowski to redeem himself following two missed field goals in the first half.

Seattle is now 2-2 and will host Los Angeles next Sunday in a game that already looms as a make-or-break if the Seahawks are to have a chance at the division.

But that seemed secondary in the moments after Thomas was carted off.

It was on this same field last November that the Seahawks’ careers of Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor ended, Sherman tearing an Achilles tendon and Chancellor suffering a stinger.

Now it’s Thomas whose future is uncertain, and who may well have played his last snap for Seattle.

The Seahawks looked good early. With Chris Carson inactive due to a hip injury, surprise starting tailback Mike Davis had 58 yards on seven carries in the first quarter, including a 20-yard scamper for a touchdown on Seattle’s second possession.

But the Seattle offense stagnated from there.

A particularly disappointing turn of events came when Seattle forced a fumble on Arizona’s first play following the touchdown, with Tre Flowers causing a David Johnson fumble and Bradley McDougald making the recovery at the Arizona 26.

A dropped pass by Brandon Marshall on first down killed the drive and Janikowski then missed from 38 yards out, which would have put Seattle up 10 points against a team that had scored just 20 for the season coming into the game.

Arizona then got its offense going with Rosen leading a 68-yard, 13-play march that led to a Phil Dawson field goal.

An apparent 27-yard TD pass to Williams late in the first half was overturned upon review, with it ruled Williams had just one foot inbounds.

Seattle had another chance to expand its lead when it drove to the Arizona 21 midway through the second quarter.

But a holding penalty on Doug Baldwin and a 5-yard loss on a pass play to Davis led to a 52-yard field goal by Janikowski that the 40-year old missed to the left.

That gave Arizona the ball at its own 42 and the Cardinals then drove in six plays for a go-ahead touchdown, with Johnson scoring from the 1 after a pass interference penalty in the end zone on Justin Coleman.

The Seahawks then drove to the 44 on their next drive and went for it on a fourth-and-one with 34 seconds left.

But Wilson was sacked at midfield and Arizona had just enough time to drive to the Seattle 32.

Fittingly, given the uneven nature of play on both sides, Arizona’s Phil Dawson missed the kick and the Cardinals settled for a 10-7 halftime lead.

Seattle then tied the game again on its first possession of the third quarter but that drive ended in disappointment.

A 15-yard Penny run on fourth-and-1 gave Seattle a first down at the Arizona 14.

But on the next play Wilson fumbled as he tripped over teammate D.J. Fluker and Penny had to scramble to recover the ball at the 23.

That forced Seattle to settle for another Janikowski field goal attempt, which he this time made from 40 yards out to tie things up at 10 with 4:59 to play in the third quarter.

But Seattle’s defense dominated what was statistically the worst offense in the NFL throughout the second half and the Seahawks finally got the breakthrough score they needed late in the third quarter, when a 1-yard run by Davis made it 17-10.

A 30-yard catch and run by David Moore got Seattle to the Arizona 17 and then two penalties in the end zone —pass interference and holding —helped set up what was Davis’ second rushing touchdown of the game and double the number Seattle had by tailbacks in all of the 2017 season.

Seattle’s next drive led to another curious play call —a pass on a third-and-1 at the Seahawks 44 that went incomplete after Wilson scrambled to buy time.

Seattle punted and Arizona then used two quick long gains to get to the Seahawks’ 19.

That led to the Rosen-to-Williams touchdown and the Thomas injury and a play that may have altered the season in ways few could have imagined.