Making a statement

SEATTLE – There’s never been much flash to Marcus Trufant’s game – and even when there is, he tries to shade it.

Take for instance, the 84-yard interception return for the piling-on points in the Seattle Seahawks’ 42-21 romp over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Qwest Field that clinched a fourth consecutive NFC West championship.

The fifth-year cornerback from Washington State snagged yet another errant pass from Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and accelerated down the left sideline for his first NFL touchdown – indeed, his first interception runback for a score since his days at Wilson High School in Tacoma.

He even had to outmaneuver one last tackler before tight-roping the sideline into the end zone.

“I can’t even tell you – it was just one of those things,” Trufant said. “The adrenaline’s pumping and the end zone’s right there. I was hoping I could get past him, but I don’t really have the moves that I used to have.”

He had plenty Sunday – he had three of the Seahawks’ five interceptions of Warner, a career-high for the both of them.

But he was hardly alone.

Defensive end Patrick Kerney had his third three-sack day of the season, beating up on rookie Cardinals tackle Levi Brown and making life miserable for Warner when the Seattle secondary wasn’t.

And Matt Hasselbeck was a virtual maestro at quarterback, throwing touchdown passes to four different receivers, including early beauties to Bobby Engram and Deon Branch that helped stake Seattle to a 24-0 lead and settled any thin notions the Cardinals (6-7) had of unseating the Seahawks (9-4).

The win assures the Seahawks at least one home game in the playoffs and could provide some late-season momentum in getting there.

“We just need to keep following his lead,” Engram said of Hasselbeck.

“He’s throwing with tremendous accuracy and playing with tremendous confidence. We just have to keep making plays for him, because he’s giving us the opportunity.”

Hasselbeck completed 22 of 33 passes for 272 yards, with no interceptions, and remained on a pace for franchise records in attempts, completions and yards.

His first touchdown pass, a 7-yard flip to Nate Burleson in the right corner of the end zone, gave Seattle a 10-0 lead, and he followed it up with two incredible passes on Seattle’s next drive – a 31-yarder to Branch on a timing route down the right sideline and a low-and-away toss under the reach of Arizona’s Michael Adams that Engram pulled off the Qwest rug.

Later, he hit Branch on the back line with a 17-yarder and found tight end Marcus Pollard on a 3-yarder after the day’s major turn of events.

Down 27-7 at halftime, the Cardinals had made two stops of the Seahawks and put together a scoring drive that ate up nearly seven minutes.

Then kicker Neil Rackers recovered an onside kick and Arizona had the ball at midfield.

But Rocky Bernard pressured Warner with a heavy rush and Trufant made his first pick, dropping back into the passing lane after handing off receiver Larry Fitzgerald to safety Deon Grant.

“Some ill-advised throws on my part,” Warner said.

Seattle probably would have had to settle for a field goal on the ensuing possession, but on a third-down incompletion Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and Seahawks center Chris Spencer hurled each other to the turf – with referee Tony Corrente tumbling with them. Dockett ripped off Spencer’s helmet and drew a 15-yard penalty to keep the drive alive.

“I was sitting there and the referee was standing right on top of me – I could see him looking at me – and the guy ripped my helmet off,” Spencer said.

“I didn’t think he was going to call it at first, but then we got in his ear.”

Once again, the Seattle running game was mostly nonexistent – Shaun Alexander had 38 yards on 10 carries, Maurice Morris 36 yards on 13.

But the offense seemed as efficient as it has been in weeks.

“We’ve been like a slow locomotive gaining speed,” said Pollard.

“We haven’t had a pure solid game, but I think this game showed what we could do. We’re picking up steam, Matt is throwing to different receivers for touchdowns and the protection is solid. I think we’ve got a lot of things to look forward to.”

Seahawks 42, Cards 21

Sea—FG J.Brown 23

Sea—Burleson 7 pass from Hasselbeck (J.Brown kick)

Sea—Engram 15 pass from Hasselbeck (J.Brown kick)

Sea—Branch 17 pass from Hasselbeck (J.Brown kick)

Ari—B.Johnson 5 pass from Warner (Rackers kick)

Sea—FG J.Brown 41

Ari—Urban 2 pass from Warner (Rackers kick)

Sea—Pollard 3 pass from Hasselbeck (J.Brown kick)

Sea—Safety, Scobey forced Berger out of bounds in end zone

Sea—Trufant 84 interception return (kick failed)

Ari—Fitzgerald 11 pass from Warner (Rackers kick)

A—68,193.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Arizona, James 13-46, Shipp 2-4, Berger 1-0. Seattle, Alexander 10-38, Morris 13-36, Hasselbeck 4-3, Weaver 1-3.

PASSING—Arizona, Warner 28-46-5-337. Seattle, Hasselbeck 22-33-0-272.

RECEIVING—Arizona, Urban 6-123, Fitzgerald 6-79, Breaston 4-52, Pope 4-16, James 3-24, Arrington 2-22, Patrick 1-11, Bienemann 1-5, B.Johnson 1-5. Seattle, Burleson 5-50, Weaver 4-56, Engram 4-55, Branch 3-52, Morris 3-26, Pollard 2-15, Obomanu 1-18.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—Arizona, Rackers 50 (SH).