Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll needs to test receiver Deon Butler on Sunday (Jan. 1). Butler is healthy again after suffering a broken leg in a game against the San Francisco 49ers last December. He has played a little bit in the last four games, but hasn’t really been tested by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson or the Seahawks . Now is the perfect opportunity to line him up against the first-string defense of the Arizona Cardinals and see what he can do.

Butler was a third-round draft choice in the 2009 N FL Draft coming out of Penn State University. He played in all 16 games during his rookie year, catching 15 passes for 175 yards. Before he got hurt in 2010, he had played in 13 games, catching 36 passes for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had shown flashes of talent on deep routes , including a very nice 63-yard touchdown reception on one game. When he broke his leg though, his progression was de-railed for a bit.

Butler may have just 5 catches for 40 yards this season, but he still shows that same passion for the game in practices. Only Butler truly knows what he could provide for the Seahawks at receiver though, and I would like the coaching staff to really give him the chance to have a breakout game. There is no harm in letting him become a primary target for Jackson on Sunday (Jan .1) and what if they end up being a perfect tandem on the field? That can only benefit the team for the 2012 season.

The receiver positions have been a void of injuries this year, and heading into Week 17 both Doug Baldwin and Ben Obomanu are recovering from injuries. With Mike Williams and Sidney Rice also residing on injured-reserves, it’s time to let Baldwin get in on the action. I think he could become a really good complimentary receiver for the Seahawks again, and that could really come in handy in multiple-receiver spreads on third down plays. Now it’s time to see what his speed can do in a game situation and the Seahawks have nothing to lose by doing so against Arizona on Sunday (Jan. 1).

More From YCN:

Seahawks Week 17 Injury Report

Seahawks_Pro_Bowl_Snubs

Arizona_Vs_Seattle_Preview

Seattle_Has_Best_NFL_Secondary

Doug_Baldwin_Simply_Awesome

Sources:

NFL_Defensive_Statistics

Seahawks_2011_Stats

Seattle_Seahawks_Roster

Seattle_Seahawks_Schedule/Results

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a lifelong fan of the Seattle Seahawks that continues to hold out hope that the team is heading in the right direction with a new coach, a weak NFC West, and some great young players on defense.

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GLENDALE, Ariz. —

The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have seasons that mirror each – an awful beginning and strong finish.

They will meet in their season finale on Sunday, the winner finishing at 8-8, a satisfying result considering what things looked like a couple of months ago.

“It’s enough incentive to be jacked up to end your season with .500 at least,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way. That’s just a natural way for all of us, so it’s going to be a big battle.”

John Skelton, who probably will be back at quarterback for Arizona, said the difference between 7-9 and 8-8 is far more than just one game.

“No one wants to have a losing record going into the offseason,” he said. “It kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth. 8-8 is kind of something to build on for the future.”

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt reminds his players of what happened in 2007, his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals won their final two to finish 8-8. The next season, Arizona won the NFC West and made it to the Super Bowl.

“No guarantees that if we win this game we are going to the Super Bowl next year, but I do believe that it’s something that you want to do,” he said. “You strive to do that, because you always want to end on a high note and it really propels you into the offseason.”

Seattle was 2-6 after a loss to Dallas on Nov. 6. Arizona was 1-6 after a 30-27 loss at Baltimore on Oct. 30. Seattle won five of six, capped by an impressive 34-14 road win over Chicago, to climb to 7-7. The Cardinals won six of seven, including home wins over Dallas and San Francisco, to hit 7-7 with a 20-17 overtime win at home over Cleveland leaving them 7-7.

The slim playoff hopes of both teams were dashed a week ago when the Seahawks lost at home to NFC West champ San Francisco 19-17 and the Cardinals were beaten at Cincinnati 23-16. That the teams were in it that long is remarkable considering the way they started.

The Cardinals have lived on the edge in nearly every game.

Five of their losses were by seven points or less. They have trailed at the half in all seven of their victories. They have won six of their last eight, three in overtime, the other three by four points, three points and two points. Last week, they trailed the Bengals 23-0 entering the fourth quarter but had a chance to win it late. Wide receiver Early Doucet broke wide open on a fourth-and-five play and was surely headed for a touchdown when he slipped and fell, Skelton’s pass sailing harmlessly over his head.

Slow starts have plagued Arizona all season. Over the last eight games, the Cardinals have been outscored 94-30 in the first two quarters, then have outscored opponents 116-51 in the second half and overtimes. Skelton isn’t sure why he has had so much trouble early in games.

“There are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes. I think it is just consistency,” he said. “We’ll have maybe the first two plays of a drive go well and then the third one someone messes up. Those are the things that we have to eliminate, the mistake here and the mistake there. Eventually those add up and they hurt an offense.”

Kevin Kolb, brought in to be the Cardinals’ franchise quarterback, struggled through the team’s six-game losing streak early in the season, then was sidelined for four games with a right turf toe. He returned and directed the team to a comeback victory over Dallas, only to go down with a concussion when he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s first play the following week against San Francisco.

Skelton came on to lead the team to a 21-19 victory over the 49ers. The second-year pro from Fordham is 4-2 as a starter this season, 5-2 if the San Francisco victory is counted.

The No. 1 challenge for Arizona’s vastly improved defense will be slowing down Marshawn Lynch, who has topped 100 yards rushing in six of his last eight games. But Whisenhunt reminded everyone that he has a pretty good back in Beanie Wells. Lynch has rushed for 1,118 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Wells, despite a season-long knee problem, has 1,047 yards, picking up 4.3 per attempt.

“If you look at Beanie vs. Marshawn, they’re almost identical statistically,” Whisenhunt said.

The Seahawks led 17-16 entering the fourth quarter last week against San Francisco only to lose on David Akers’ 39-yard field goal with 3:44 to play. Jackson’s fumble on Seattle’s next possession sealed the 49ers’ win.

The Seahawks believe they are a better team than they were a year ago, when their 7-9 record was good enough to win the NFC West, then they stunned New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs.

“Even though we have a similar record as last year, I think we took stuff forward this year – defense, offense, running game, and special teams,” Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor said. “There are new guys on the team now and we just have to take time to feel each other out and see where we’re going.”

The Cardinals’ defensive game plan against the Seahawks in Week 3 was rudimentary compared with the schemes coordinator Ray Horton is calling more than three months later.

“We played almost nothing in that game; I didn’t think we could,” Horton said. “And now we have, I’d say probably 90 percent of our stuff in and it’s available and called.

“On my call sheet, there is only one play I’m not going to call, definitely, and the rest is available. So we are light years ahead.”

The Cardinals played well defensively in the 13-10 loss to Seattle, but the Seahawks offense was dealing with numerous injuries at the time. The Seahawks gained just 261 total yards and scored one touchdown.

But the Cardinals forced only one turnover, a problem throughout the season. The Cardinals have just nine interceptions and nine fumble recoveries.

Improving upon that is one of Horton’s goals for next season.

“The other was probably figuring out what we’re doing on ‘goal line,’ ” Horton said. “Those are the two things that stick out. Every time we get in what we call goal line personnel, they score. And we’re not NFL level on turnovers. Those are the main things we will really look at.”

Porter wants to play

Outside linebacker Joey Porter’s only two seasons in Arizona ended in injury, but even though he will be 35 in March, he would like to play in 2012.

“Last year was the first time I had ever been on IR (injured reserve),” said Porter, who had a triceps injury last year. “To have it (an injury) again this year, it was just like, ‘Man.’ But you play this game long enough, you’re going to cross that road eventually.”

Porter underwent surgery to repair meniscus in his left knee in October and was not able to return. Even if healthy, he would have been a reserve.

“I haven’t even crossed the path of thinking (retirement) yet,” he said. “Once I get healthy with my knee, everything else is fine.”

A fine Friday

Defensive end Darnell Dockett was fined $30,000 for two illegal hits in last Saturday’s game against the Bengals. Dockett was called for a horse-collar tackle and for hitting quarterback Andy Dalton in the knee area.

Safety Adrian Wilson was not fined for a hit on Dalton that drew a roughing the passer penalty. That’s a tacit admission by the NFL that the hit was legal.

That penalty nullified an interception by cornerback Patrick Peterson, and the Bengals ended up scoring a field goal.

Injury update

Quarterback Kevin Kolb (concussion) and cornerback Patrick Peterson (Achilles’) are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, but Peterson seems to fit that category better.

Kolb has been limited in practice and is still experiencing concussion symptoms, Whisenhunt said on Friday. It would be surprising if he plays.

Peterson practiced Friday for the first time this week, and he will be tested before the game to assess his readiness.

Tackle Brandon Keith (ankle) was ruled out.

Happy holidays

Offensive tackle D.J. Young received a belated Christmas gift earlier this week when he was promoted from the practice squad to the regular roster.

Young was on the practice squad all season, making $5,700 a week. This week, he’s making the minimum salary for a rookie, a little more than $22,000.

He has the Eagles to thank. They tried to sign him off the Cardinals’ practice squad this week, and the Cardinals responded by offering to promote Young.

It wasn’t a hard decision for Young, who is from Lansing, Mich., and played at Michigan State.

“It wasn’t tempting at all,” Young said of the Eagles’ offer. “You’re dealing with nice, sunny skies every day out here. The Cardinals obviously see some potential, but there’s obviously stuff I need to work on. I’m happy they want me to be here.”

Young has an opportunity to make the regular roster in 2012. The Cardinals have not drafted an offensive lineman since 2009.

Campbell, Fitzgerald honored

The local chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association gave defensive end Calais Campbell the Lloyd Herberg MVP Award and receiver Larry Fitzgerald the Steve Schoenfeld Good Guy Award on Friday.

Campbell, in his fourth season, leads the Cardinals with eight sacks and has also knocked down 11 passes and blocked three field goals.

Fitzgerald, who won the MVP award in 2007, was recognized for being available, insightful and professional in dealing with media.

The awards are named after two former Cardinals and NFL beat writers for The Republic.

Herberg covered the Cardinals from the time they moved to Arizona in 1988 until 1994, when he died of cancer.

Schoenfeld covered the NFL and the Cardinals from 1988 to the summer of 2000. He was killed by a hit-and-run driver in October 2000.

The Cardinals’ 2012 schedule looks like this:

Home: Bears, Lions, Bills, Dolphins, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks and an NFC East team. The NFC East team will be determined by final division standings. The Cardinals will finish second or third, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s game against Seattle.

The possible NFC East teams are the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles.

Away: Packers, Vikings, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks and an NFC South team. That team would be the Falcons if the Cardinals win on Sunday and the Panthers if they lose.

According to current standings, the Cardinals would have the 12th overall draft pick.

NEW YORK — Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has been fined $15,000 by the NFL for hitting Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton below the knees last weekend and another $15,000 for a horse-collar tackle on Bengals running back Bernard Scott.

Dockett was called for 15-yard penalties on each play in the Cardinals’ 23-16 loss last Saturday.

Washington Redskins safety Reed Doughty was fined $15,000 by the league on Friday for striking Minnesota’s Christian Ponder in the head and neck area as the quarterback slid. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt received a similar fine for hitting Indianapolis quarterback Dan Orlovsky below the knee.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton was fined $15,000 for unnecessary roughness for striking New Orleans wide receiver Marques Colston, deemed a defenseless player, in the head and neck area Monday night.