Seahawks vs. Cardinals preview: Stats, history, facts and connections

With the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks playing on Thursday Night Football, why not look at some numbers history and more? This will be the first of three straight games at home for Arizona. They are looking to win their first divisional game.

Let's look at some of the facts.

Stats:

Seattle comes into town with the league's second ranked defense and 10th ranked offense. However, the offense has been carried by the running game, where they have gained the second most yards in the league.

Arizona will counter that with the league's fifth best rushing defense and 15th overall. They will have to do more offensively than they have. The unit ranks 26th overall.

Arizona has allowed one more touchdown than they have scored. Seattle has scored six more than they have allowed.

Carson Palmer has been intercepted 11 times through the first six weeks, while Russell Wilson has thrown only four picks so far.

As a team, the Seahawks run the ball very well, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Arizona allows 3.8.

The one area in which Arizona is superior, it is in the sacks allowed. Carson Palmer has been sacked 13 times in six games while Russell Wilson has been sacked 17 times.

Turnovers could play a key role. Arizona has a -2 ratio in the turnover battle on the season. Seattle is +7, despite having fumbled the ball 13 times. They have lost only six of those fumbles.

History:

This will be the 29th time the two teams play. Arizona holds a slight 15-13 advantage in the all-time set. Home has been good to the Cardinals when playing Seattle. They have won seven of the last nine at home, and the only time that Arizona lost to Seattle in University of Phoenix Stadium was 2010. They are overall 9-4 against the Seahawks. They have split the last two seasons, each team winning at home.

The last time the two played, Seattle walloped the Cards, defeating them 58-0 in Seattle. However, in 2012 Week 1, Arizona beat them 20-16. It was Russell Wilson's NFL debut.

Connections between the teams:

On the Cardinals, two offensive linemen are former Seahawks -- starting guard Paul Fanaika, who was with them in 2010 and 2011. Backup center Mike Gibson was there from 2009-2011.

O'Brien Schofield, who spent 2010-2012 with Arizona, is now a Seahawk. He joined them after the Cards waived him at the start of training camp.

Other facts:

This will be the first time in his career that quarterback Carson Palmer will face Pete Carroll as an opposing coach. Carroll was Palmer's head coach at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy.

Seattle is 2-5 on Thursday night games.

Although this is Bruce Arians' first true head coaching job, the teams he has coached as an assistant or as a coordinator have done well on Thursday nights. His teams are 8-1 on Thursdays.