Sunday’s meeting between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks has all the ingredients of a game that could shape the early NFC West picture, and both teams enter State Farm Stadium at 1-0. That matters. Teams that get to 2-0 end up making the playoffs roughly 70% of the time, so the stakes are already clear before the opening kickoff.
Seattle comes in as the favorite in just about every preview, but Arizona has an offense that can be dangerous under Mike LaFleur, while Mike Macdonald’s defense has already earned a harsh label from the other sideline: nightmare fuel.
To get a read on the Seahawks’ side of the matchup, Seahawks On SI’s Jeremy Brener weighed in on the biggest questions surrounding the game.
The quarterback situation is one of the first places to look, and Brener believes Lock can steady the Seahawks even if he doesn’t completely take over the day. He said, "I think Lock can play well enough to keep the Seahawks in the game. I don't think Lock is a lock to get the Seahawks a win, but he can definitely fill in for Sam Darnold by keeping the ball in the offense's hands."
Lock’s 187-yard passing day against the New England Patriots last week was solid rather than spectacular, and Brener expects something in that same neighborhood against Arizona. Whether that is enough to produce a win is another matter.
Brener also sees real edge for Seattle on defense, pointing to a unit that feels more connected even with changes. Riq Woolen and Boye Mafe are gone in free agency, but Brener said veterans have stepped in and can cover those departures.
His view of the group was blunt: "This defense is going to find a way to win in every matchup possible, which makes it extremely difficult to go up against them. They are relentless and will stop at nothing to turn the ball over or send your offense back out onto the sideline without points."
The Seahawks’ backfield depth is another factor to watch with Zach Charbonnet out. Brener said George Holani is in line for the backup reps.
Holani has one career touchdown, and it came against the Cardinals in Week 10 of last season. He also had just 29 yards on eight carries in the opener, but Brener thinks he should still see a similar workload and could again find the end zone.
Up front, Brener thinks the game will turn on trench play. He pointed specifically to Seattle’s offensive line against Arizona’s defensive line, noting that with Lock starting instead of Darnold, the Seahawks are likely to lean more on the run game. If the Cardinals can hold rookie Jadarian Price and the rest of Seattle’s rushing attack in check, Brener likes Arizona’s upset chances.
Still, his final call is Seattle in a close one. Brener expects a divisional fight that stays tight throughout and predicts the Seahawks will leave with a 17-10 win and move to 2-0.
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