Coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks will be back home on Sunday looking for a split in the season series with the Arizona Cardinals and to bolster its ever-increasing chances of getting back into the postseason.

Last weekend’s 23-17 overtime win over the Bears put Seattle back in the thick of the NFC playoff picture and with three divisional games remaining, including one against the leading San Francisco 49ers, a number of scenarios are still possible for the Seahawks to continue chasing the Lombardi Trophy.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson put his name squarely in the middle of the Rookie of the Year conversation with a pair of touchdown drives, one as time was running down in the fourth quarter and another for the game-winner in overtime. The third round selection from Wisconsin now has 19 touchdowns on the year against only eight interceptions, none of which have come in the past four games.

Both Golden Tate and Sidney Rice made their presence felt, each securing scores on the two fateful drives. The two are tied for the team lead in scoring (for a non-kicker).

Arizona, which pulled out a 20-16 win over the Seahawks when a last-minute drive stalled near the goal line in the season’s first week, has been in a free-fall of late that has produced chatter of head coach Ken Wisenhunt’s job being in jeopardy. Since a 4-0 start that included a road win over the New England Patriots, the Cardinals have dropped the last eight games. Last weekend’s 7-6 loss to the New York Jets and backup quarterback Greg McElroy has left concern that the team has closed-up shop on the now lost season.

John Skelton and not Ryan Lindley will start at quarterback for the Cardinals, which will face a Seattle secondary that will play its first of four games without starting cornerback Brandon Browner.

Browner dropped the appeal of his four-game suspension from the NFL for violation of its performance enhancing drugs policy. Fellow corner Richard Sherman’s appeal is still pending a hearing. Carroll said Walter Thurmond III, who has missed much of the year with injury but did play in last week’s win over Chicago, will start in place of Browner.

The team promoted DeShawn Shead from its own practice squad to the active roster and signed Ron Parker to take Shead’s place.