The Seahawks are heading into Week 9 with the Cardinals waiting on the other side, and one of the biggest storylines is Arizona’s reset at quarterback.
Arizona’s offense had gone stale with Brissett, who got the ball out fast and too often locked onto his first read. The move to bench him made sense, and Gardner Minshew wasted no time giving the Cardinals a jolt, stringing together four straight scoring drives right away.
That quick spark is part of why the quarterback change has people watching closely, but there’s still skepticism about how long it lasts. As Donnie Druin put it, “I’m still 50/50.
Many times we see a backup quarterback enter action and have immediate success, and it takes just a few weeks' worth of film for opposing defenses to get film and figure him out. The same goes for Minshew, who has starred in this movie before.”
He added, “Minshew Magic is fun but will eventually run out. I think the Cardinals will have plenty to offer in terms of different looks with an actual week to gameplan with him at quarterback, though Seattle's defense is incredibly tough and now has a chip on their shoulder entering this week.”
The Cardinals also come into the matchup dealing with injuries, something that has already hit hard with several big names landing on injured reserve. Druin pointed to that as one of the major concerns, along with the fact that Arizona’s offense has looked like what you’d expect from a first-year head coach while the defense has been poor.
There’s also the matter of familiarity. Arizona has fresh film on Seattle from this season, and Druin noted that the team that lost the first meeting often has a better shot in the rematch. He also said the Cardinals are not the kind of overlooked underdog they usually would be in this spot because of the quarterback change and the defense showing some recent improvement.
Even with that, the pick still leans Seattle. Druin expects Arizona to keep it competitive, but he sees the Seahawks finishing the job: SEA 28, AZ 21.
In Other News...
Seahawks Defense Has A Film Problem Fans Will Notice Fast
The Seahawks defense left plenty to sort through after the loss to the Bears, and the film points to a few issues that were hard to miss. Chicago stayed committed to the run on first down, then kept Seattle in uncomfortable spots on second down, where the Bears were able to stay on schedule and avoid obvious passing downs.
Caleb Williams also found answers in the passing game, especially between the numbers and on deeper throws, which made the Bears offense tougher to pin down than Seattle would have liked. The numbers from the game line up with broader NFL trends in a way that should get the Seahawks attention, because this was less about one busted play than a defense that struggled to get off the field in the moments that mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Roster Shuffle Hints At Injury Plan Before Cardinals Game
The Seahawks made a small but telling roster move this week, releasing running back Velus Jones Jr. and bringing him back on the practice squad to open a spot on the 53-man roster. It is the kind of transaction that usually says as much about the injury report as it does about the player involved, especially with Seattle trying to sort through multiple health issues before its Week 9 meeting with the Arizona Cardinals.
Seattle also added quarterback Adrian Martinez and linebacker Jamie Sheriff to the practice squad, giving the team a little more depth as it navigates the week. The open roster spot is expected to be filled by a player from one of the injured positions, which suggests the Seahawks are already bracing for some shuffling before they get to Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Injury Trouble Just Hit Two Spots They Cant Afford
The Seahawks are dealing with fresh injury complications in two places they can least afford them, and both come with immediate lineup implications. Guard Quenton Nelson is set for a minor knee procedure and is expected to be out week-to-week, though Seattle is not planning to place him on injured reserve, according to coach Mike Macdonald. The team also had to sort through a handful of other injury updates and lineup changes as it tried to keep the depth chart intact.
At quarterback, the situation is just as uneasy. Drew Lock will start against Arizona with Sam Darnold sidelined, even as Lock has been limited in practice by an elbow issue. For a Seahawks team trying to steady itself, the timing of those absences only adds to the pressure heading into a game where every healthy body matters. [Read more 🡒]