Mike LaFleur isn’t spending much time on the Cardinals’ long, ugly run against the Seahawks, and he made that clear this week.
Arizona has had a rough time with Seattle for more than a decade, especially in Glendale. The Cardinals’ last home win over the Seahawks came in the COVID season of 2020, a 37-34 overtime finish.
Since then, the matchups at State Farm Stadium have tilted Seattle’s way, including three one-score games in the last five losses and a 23-20 defeat in 2025 that came on a last-second field goal. That one followed a Thursday night game, four days after a road loss in San Francisco.
The broader picture is even harsher. Since 2013, the Cardinals are 1-11-1 at home against Seattle.
In Seattle, Arizona has dropped four straight after winning 23-13 in 2021. The Seahawks have also taken nine straight in the season series.
So when LaFleur was asked Wednesday what a home win over Seattle would mean given all that history, he brushed it aside.
"It'd be another win. We'd be 2-0, and we'd be moving on to the next week, but I didn't even know the history of it, so that's news to me.
History's a big part of this game, but it can't be in your locker room. It's just got to be week to week.
If we win, then I guess we'd be 2-0. If they win, they'll be 2-0.
The sun will come up Monday, and we're right back to work."
That line of thinking came up again Friday, after a reporter told LaFleur he had asked a former Cardinals player about the rivalry and was told, “It matters if a head coach wants it to matter.”
LaFleur’s answer stayed pointedly focused on the present.
“The motivation is what they need by the week. If we had to date back to the history books because we thought that was best to get them ready to play ...
I don’t think that’s the case. Maybe some of them; but if you have feelings about it, you have feelings about it.
“(But) we’re not talking about it. It’s an opponent.
It’s a very good opponent in all three phases. I’ve talked about how I feel they’re coached.
I think their players are excellent. I think they play the right way.
Anytime you say, ‘What’s the blueprint for what you want your team to look like,’ I think they’re them.”
Jacoby Brissett took a slightly different tack, saying the Cardinals can’t ignore what’s happened in this series, even if the season is still just getting started.
"We would be foolish to not know the history of the series, but it's a new year. It's the second game of the year.
It's the most important game of our season right now. Divisional opponent coming here, and we look forward to it."
None of that history will matter much once Sunday kicks off. LaFleur is already the fifth Cardinals head coach since 2013, and whatever happened across those years belongs to a different group of teams.
Still, if Arizona does pull this one out, the reaction around the fan base could get loud in a hurry - with 15 games still left to play.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Big Week 2 Problem Up Front
Roy Lopez gave the Cardinals a much-needed boost along the defensive front in Week 1, but now Arizona is watching his status closely heading into a tougher-looking matchup with Seattle. Head coach Mike LaFleur said the defensive lineman is dealing with a groin injury and is questionable for Week 2, a development that lands at an inconvenient time with the Seahawks expected to bring a stronger rushing attack.
If Lopez cannot go, the Cardinals may need to lean more heavily on second-year defensive lineman Walter Nolen to help absorb some of that workload. It is the kind of early-season front-seven concern that can quietly shape a game, especially against a Seattle offense that looks built to test Arizona between the tackles. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Real Shot To End This Seahawks Drought
The Cardinals head into their Week 2 meeting with the Seahawks carrying a familiar burden, having not beaten Seattle since 2021. But this matchup looks a little different than the recent versions of this rivalry, and not just because Arizona showed some encouraging signs on defense in its opener. The unit held up well enough in Week 1 to suggest there may be more resistance this time around, even with the usual divisional pressure waiting in Seattle.
A change at quarterback for the Seahawks adds another wrinkle, with Sam Darnold sidelined and Drew Lock expected to take over. For Arizona, that opens a door in a game that has often gone Seattles way, though the Cardinals are also monitoring the status of Roy Lopez after his injury. If he is limited or unavailable, that could matter for a defense trying to build on early momentum while finally making this rivalry feel a little less one-sided. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face A Tougher Seahawks Test Than Week 1 Suggested
The Seahawks did not exactly look like a team adjusting on the fly in Week 1, even after Sam Darnold went out and Drew Lock had to finish the job against New England. Seattles defense took over late, forcing three interceptions in the fourth quarter and shutting down the Patriots running backs enough to keep the game under control, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba paced the offense with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
For Arizona, that makes the upcoming matchup look a lot less inviting than it might have seemed before the opener. The Cardinals will still be preparing for a division opponent that can win with defense, survive a quarterback change and get explosive production from its top receiver, which is the kind of combination that tends to make early-season road trips or home dates harder than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]