Cardinals botch kickoff to blow comeback against Seahawks

Down 20-6 early in the fourth quarter on Thursday night, the Cardinals found their footing and stormed all the way back to tie the Seahawks with 28 seconds left.

But Arizona’s special teams unit cost them in the cruelest of ways.

Specifically, Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland’s ensuing low and short kickoff to Seattle was penalized after it failed to reach the landing zone — between the 20-yard line and the goal line per the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rules instituted last season — and set up the Seahawks at their own 40.

Seattle did not blow the good field position.

After one incompletion, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold connected with wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a 22-yard gain before running back Zach Charbonnet added four on the ground to set up kicker Jason Myers for a 52-yard field goal attempt.

After missing a kick earlier in the fourth quarter, Myers converted this one to give the Seahawks a 23-20 walk-off win as time expired, moving them to 3-1 on the season.

The kickoff marked the second time in three weeks that Seattle benefited from a goof on a kickoff.

In Week 2, Steelers return man Kaleb Johnson let a ball bounce from the landing zone and into the end zone without picking it up.

The Seahawks pounced on it for an easy six points.

When asked after Thursday’s win how he felt about the dynamic kickoff rules, Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald had three simple words: “I love it.”

The kickoff blunder spoiled Arizona’s last-minute bid to send the game to overtime after quarterback Kyler Murray led a 12-play, 57-yard drive capped off with a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Emari Demercado.

ESPN’s Ben Solak reported that Next Gen Stats said going for a two-point conversion to try to avoid overtime would have been the optimal move, but the Cardinals went for the extra point and the tie.

And a kickoff and four plays later, overtime and a win were out of the question.

The 2-2 Cardinals next host the Titans on Oct. 5