SEATTLE — The road to Glendale was beginning to look like it might go through Glendale, but the Seattle Seahawks put that talk on hold with a 19-3 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Seahawks overcame seven sacks and a quiet day from running back Marshawn Lynch to keep the NFC West race alive with the win.

Seattle (7-4) moved to within two games of the division-leading Cardinals, the host team for the upcoming Super Bowl.

“We played a great game today, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said after the loss. “It’s really crunch time now. We put ourselves in a hole, so this is an important time for us.”

Arizona (9-2) had just 204 total yards while having its six-game winning streak snapped.

“We were unable to make plays offensively all day,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson completed 17 of 22 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, while kicker Steven Hauschka made good on 4 of 5 field-goal attempts. Wilson added a team-high 73 rushing yards but was also sacked a season-high seven times.

Arizona defensive lineman Calais Campbell had three sacks, all of which came before halftime.

Lynch was held to just 39 rushing yards on 15 carries on an afternoon when he missed action with a sore back. It marked his lowest total since San Diego held Lynch to 36 rushing yards in a Week 2 win over the Seahawks.

The Seahawks took control of a game made up of field goals when tight end Cooper Helfelt scored the game’s first touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Wilson in the final minute of the third quarter. The touchdown gave Seattle a 19-3 lead.

Arizona quarterback Drew Stanton struggled in his second start since Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending injury. Stanton completed 14 of 26 passes for 149 yards and an interception, then limped off the field midway through the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury and watched Seattle’s offense run out the clock. Rookie Logan Thomas was warming up on the sideline while the Seahawks closed out the game with a long drive that led to two kneel-downs inside the Arizona 5-yard line.

“He’ll be fine,” Arians said of Stanton.

What the Seahawks said:

“We’re very good when we’re very relaxed, having fun, like it’s a party out there. That’s the way we want to play, and that’s how we played today.” — middle linebacker Bobby Wagner

“It was hard. They are a very difficult defense to play against, and our guys really had to keep fighting and clawing and scratching to get stuff.” — coach Pete Carroll

“For us, it’s about the moment we have right now.” — quarterback Russell Wilson

What the Cardinals said:

“Everything was self-inflicted.” — coach Bruce Arians

“We let Russell Wilson be Russell Wilson on too many occasions. We didn’t play our style of football as far as creating turnovers, and I think that’s what really hurt us in the long run.” — safety Tyrann Mathieu

“I left my feet and tried to body-catch (the football on a key drop in the end zone just before halftime). That is something you never want to do, especially on touchdowns. Just disappointed in myself — and (that) we didn’t win, either.” — wide receiver Jaron Brown

What we learned about the Seahawks:

1. Seattle can win without running back Marshawn Lynch carrying the load. The bruising runner struggled with a sore back, which limited him to 39 yards on 15 carries, but the Seahawks were able to come away with a win. Lynch’s banged-up body and the absence of C Max Unger should slow down the Seattle running game in the next few weeks, so it was important for the Seahawks to show they could find other ways to win.

2. The NFC West race is still there for the taking. With the Cardinals figuring out life after Carson Palmer, and the 49ers struggling to put up points, Seattle is in a decent position to make a run. Three of the Seahawks’ five remaining games come against those two teams, so Seattle has a chance to take hold of its own destiny.

–RB Marshawn Lynch battled through illness and a sore back to his second-lowest rushing total of the season Sunday. Lynch was held to 39 yards on 15 carries. But he added 43 yards on three receptions. The only time Lynch has rushed for fewer than 39 yards this season came in a Week 2 loss at San Diego, during which he had 36 rushing yards.

–C Max Unger missed his first game since suffering a high ankle sprain in the loss to Kansas City, and the Seattle ground game was anemic without him. The Seahawks had 124 rushing yards, but most of those came from QB Russell Wilson (73) on scrambles and read-option plays. In games when Unger starts, Seattle averages 203.8 rushing yards per game. When he’s been sidelined by ankle and foot injuries, the Seahawks average 128.6 rushing yards per game.

–MLB Bobby Wagner returned to the defense and helped Seattle’s stout running game return to form Sunday. He tied for the team lead with eight tackles as the Seahawks held Arizona to 64 rushing yards.

What we learned about the Cardinals:

1. They’re not NFC West champs yet. Arizona had a chance to put another nail in Seattle’s coffin Sunday, but the loss leaves the Cardinals in doubt for the first time in two months. Arizona is still in a decent position to win the division, depending on how quaterback Drew Stanton bounces back, but the Cardinals could have really taken control with a win at Seattle on Sunday.

2. Quarterback Drew Stanton has limitations, especially when wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald isn’t at his disposal. Fitzgerald isn’t as productive when quarterback Carson Palmer is out, but his absence Sunday was felt by the Arizona offense. Stanton struggled through one of his worst outings, missing open receivers on multiple occasions while having a touchdown taken away when wide receiver Jaron Brown dropped a sure catch in the end zone just before halftime.

–WR Larry Fitzgerald missed a game for the first time since 2007, having sat out Sunday’s game at Seattle with a knee injury. Fitzgerald had played in 110 consecutive games before Sunday.

–DE Calais Campbell had three sacks Sunday, all of them coming before halftime. Campbell spearheaded an Arizona pass rush that sacked Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson five times in the first half and seven for the game.

–QB Drew Stanton had another average game, following a subpar second half in last Sunday’s win over Detroit, but coach Bruce Arians said offensive line problems and dropped passes were the bigger factor. Stanton was 14 for 26 for 149 yards and an interception. He limped off the field after the Cardinals’ final series, appearing to favor his left ankle, but Arians said after the game that his quarterback was “fine.” Stanton said the injury was “not anything severe.”