The Seahawks arrive at Week 9 carrying a lot more baggage than they probably expected eight games into a title defense. Seattle opened 2-0, but since then the slide has been real: four losses in the last six games, including two at home, and a 32-29 defeat to the 6-1 San Francisco 49ers back in Week 5 that left them chasing in the NFC West.
Now they head into Sunday’s rematch with the Arizona Cardinals without starting quarterback Sam Darnold for the second time this season. That’s not unfamiliar territory for Seattle, though. Drew Lock was in the same spot in Week 2 at Glendale, and the Seahawks rolled to a 31-7 win.
Lock has been sharp when called on this year. In his two appearances, including the Week 1 relief outing for Darnold, he has completed 35 of 48 passes for 422 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers. Every one of those touchdown throws has gone to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, covering 42, 82, seven and 12 yards.
That connection has been one of the few steady things for Seattle. Smith-Njigba has been a problem for Arizona already, and the recent numbers back it up: he had nine catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals, and over his last two games he has piled up 17 receptions for 277 yards and four scores.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, have had no answer for Seattle in this matchup for a long time. The Seahawks have won 10 straight against Arizona, including that Week 2 rout, and those victories have come by a combined 273-163. Arizona’s last win in this series came in Week 11 of 2021 in Seattle, a 23-13 result.
The bigger issue for Arizona is what the defense has been giving up. The Cardinals are allowing a league-high 29.8 points per game and have surrendered 30 or more points in six of their eight games. They’ve also given up 27 offensive touchdowns, with nine on the ground and 18 through the air, and have allowed at least two touchdowns in every game this season.
Seattle’s own offense has been uneven, especially on the ground. A year ago, the Seahawks ranked 10th in the league in rushing at 123.3 yards per game and averaged 130.3 during their three-game postseason run. This season, they’re down to 109.6 yards per game, and four times they’ve been held under 100.
There’s also the matter of Budda Baker, who remains a major presence for Arizona. The eight-time Pro Bowl safety is third on the Cardinals with 51 tackles, leads the team with 3.5 sacks and one interception, and is tied for second with four passes defensed.
Seattle comes into this one after getting pushed around in the trenches against Chicago. That 34-17 Monday night loss was a rough one, and it leaves Mike McDonald’s team trying to steady itself quickly against a division opponent it has dominated for years.
In Other News...
Cardinals Win Looks Even Better After What Followed For Dallas
The Cardinals overtime win over Dallas already carried plenty of weight in the standings and in the locker room, but the aftermath has only made it look more costly for the Cowboys. What followed was a wave of NFL discipline tied to the kind of sloppy, undisciplined play that can swing a tight game, and it added another layer to a loss Arizona had every reason to savor.
Three Cowboys players were fined for hits in that game, including helmet-to-helmet and unnecessary roughness violations that drew league attention after the fact. One of those plays left Cardinals running back Bam Knight in concussion protocol, while the others involved contact on Gardner Minshew and a hit in overtime, a rough finish that fit a broader pattern for Dallas as one of the league's most penalized teams this season. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Interest In Trey McBride Just Put Cardinals On The Spot
The trade deadline chatter around Trey McBride has only sharpened the spotlight on what he means to Arizona. Denver has been looking for more juice at tight end, with Evan Engrams contract set to expire after the season, and McBrides rise has made him exactly the kind of player other teams would at least call about. For the Cardinals, it is another reminder that one of their most valuable pieces has become a leaguewide talking point.
McBride has been central to Arizonas passing game this year, and interest from a contender only underscores how hard he would be to replace. The Cardinals have already made their stance clear by turning away Denvers inquiry, but the attention around him figures to linger as the deadline approaches and teams keep searching for impact help. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Get An O-Line Boost At A Critical Time
The Cardinals are getting some timely help up front for their Week 9 matchup with the Seahawks, with offensive guard Isaiah Adams set to come off injured reserve after missing time with an ankle injury. Arizona has been searching for stability along the offensive line, and Adams return gives the group a needed boost as the game week ramps up.
The roster moves did not stop there, either. Tight end Shawn Bowman and running back Jerome Ford were also elevated from the practice squad for the game, giving Arizona a little extra depth as it heads into a division test that could demand flexibility on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]