SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks' loss on Sunday didn't just end their season. It pretty much exemplified it.

From start to finish of their 26-24 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals, the Seahawks were done in by all the familiar culprits -- the offensive ineptitude out of the gates, the broken running game, the penalties on both sides of the ball, the dropped passes, and even the missed field goal at the end. A disappointing 2017 was summed up in three mistake-filled hours of football at CenturyLink Field.

Coach Pete Carroll had an apt description when he called this game a "microcosm" of Seattle's season. Was it ever.

"There was a lot of stuff that kind of showed up again today," Carroll said.

The Seahawks needed a win over Arizona and an Atlanta Falcons loss to the Carolina Panthers to sneak into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. Neither happened, and so Seattle's run of five straight postseason appearances comes to an end.

It's timely that it happened on New Year's Eve. Here are a few suggested resolutions for 2018.

Fix the running game. The Seahawks entered Week 17 ranked 21st in rushing, only marginally better than last season. They rushed for 101 yards on Sunday, matching their season average. But that total included 36 from quarterback Russell Wilson, who became only the fifth quarterback since the 1970 merger to finish a season as his team's leading rusher. He did so by over 300 yards. Seattle's offensive line bears much of the responsibility for what's been a two-year decline in the team's running game. The old excuse that Tom Cable has little to work with no longer applies given all the resources the Seahawks have poured into their offensive line in recent seasons.

Figure out the slow starts on offense. The Seahawks managed to net zero yards in the first quarter on Sunday and managed just all of 24 yards in the first half. They more than tripled that output on their opening drive of the third quarter, going 80 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown. It was an all-too familiar occurrence. On the season, the Seahawks ranked 29th in first-half scoring and 30th in first-half yards, according to ESPN charting. They've now gone 29 consecutive regular-season games without scoring an offensive touchdown on their opening possession. Meanwhile, Wilson set an NFL record with 19 fourth-quarter touchdown passes this season. Go figure.

Curb the penalty problem once and for all. The Seahawks had already set a franchise record for penalties this season before Week 17. They added eight more for 100 yards on Sunday just for good measure. The finally tally: an NFL-high 148, only counting those that were accepted. It's true that the Seahawks also led the NFL in penalties when they reached consecutive Super Bowls in the 2013 and '14 seasons. But those teams were more talented and therefore had a greater margin for error that what Seattle had in 2017.

Find a kicker. The Seahawks' decision to let Stephen Hauschka walk in free agency and sign Blair Walsh was understandable. Hauschka was coming off a poor season and was going to command a big contract. Walsh was also coming off a poor season but was available for much cheaper. That decision came back to bite Seattle in a big way. That was painfully evident well before Walsh missed a 48-yard field attempt Sunday goal that likely would gave given Seattle a win. He finished 21-of-29 on the season, with three of his misses coming in a three-point loss to Washington in Week 9.

Before Sunday's game, Carroll addressed speculation that he may consider walking away at season's end, tweeting that he "ain't old enough to think about retiring!" Carroll isn't going anywhere, but the futures of several Seahawks player are up in the air.

Strong safety Kam Chancellor and defensive end Cliff Avril suffered career-threatening neck injuries. Cornerback Richard Sherman will be 30 years old and coming off a ruptured Achilles that ended his season.

Tight end Jimmy Graham, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and receiver Paul Richardson are set to become unrestricted free agents.

Defensive lineman Michael Bennett and punter Jon Ryan are potential salary-cap casualties. Bennett told the Tacoma News Tribune that he thinks the team will move on. Free safety Earl Thomas said he has "no clue" when asked if he expects to be back next season, although he's still playing at an All-Pro level and has tremendous value to Seattle's defense.

Even if Thomas stays -- he's signed through 2018 -- Seattle's defense in particular and its roster as a whole could look considerably different.

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin was asked about that possibility.

"I don’t know," he said. "Honestly, I’m just really disappointed and pissed off about this game. I think the most important thing is that we do some self-reflection. We always do that. Obviously every year there’s self-reflection and self-evaluation. I’m hoping that players, coaches, all of us really do the soul searching because to me, we just have so much talent, we should be in the playoffs."