The Seahawks left Glendale with a 31-7 win over the Cardinals in Week 2, and the score told the story: Seattle had control for most of the afternoon at State Farm Stadium.
A big part of that came from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who kept rolling exactly the way he did to open last season. After breaking out as the league’s top wide receiver last year, Smith-Njigba opened this season with a second straight 100-yard game. He finished with nine catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns, including an 82-yard strike in the first quarter.
With Sam Darnold out because of a hip and glute injury, there were questions about whether Smith-Njigba could keep producing at that level. He answered them immediately.
By the time the day was over, it was clear he hadn’t just held steady - he had taken over. JSN should remain heavily involved while Darnold is expected to miss another week or two.
Seattle’s defense also kept the game from ever slipping into danger. Last week, three interceptions in the fourth quarter helped seal the win, but this time the unit didn’t need a late flurry of takeaways to finish the job. Julian Love did come away with a sharp interception, but the bigger story was the way Seattle leaned on physical, aggressive football and shut down any real Cardinals momentum.
That kind of week-to-week dominance is what has been driving Seattle’s defensive reputation, and it showed again here.
There was one concern in the second half: rookie running back Jadarian Price exited with a chest injury and did not return. Before leaving, he logged 13 carries for 52 yards and added one catch for eight yards. His status will be something to watch over the next couple of days.
In his place, Emanuel Wilson delivered a strong outing of his own. He carried the ball 21 times for 92 yards, giving Seattle a useful option in the backfield after he had only two carries in Week 1. With Zach Charbonnet not expected back until Week 5 at the earliest, Wilson and George Holani may be asked to carry the load for the next two weeks.
In Other News...
Former Seahawks Receiver Is Suddenly Becoming A Raiders Talking Point
Cody White has gone from a familiar name in Seattle to an unexpectedly useful piece for Las Vegas, and his latest outing only added to the attention. Elevated from the Raiders practice squad shortly before the game, the former Seahawks receiver made his presence felt on offense and on special teams, giving Las Vegas a steady lift in a spot where the team was clearly looking for someone to step forward.
For Seahawks fans, the interesting part is not just Whites production, but how quickly he has become part of a broader Raiders trend. Head coach Klint Kubiak has brought in multiple former Seattle players, and Whites recent two-touchdown game is the kind of performance that tends to keep a players name circulating well beyond one Sunday. The bigger question is how much of this is a one-week surge, and how much is the start of a larger role. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Nearly Turned Seahawks Scouting Into A Week 6 Feud
Mike Macdonalds first season in Seattle had an unexpected subplot well beyond the usual chess match of NFL coaching. In a recent interview, the Seahawks coach said Broncos head coach Sean Payton threatened to go public with accusations that Seattle had engaged in a Spygate-like cheating scheme after the Seahawks used publicly available fan-recorded training camp video to study Denver.
The issue never became a formal scandal because the Seahawks pushed back and were prepared to respond legally, and Payton ultimately backed off. Even so, the episode adds another layer to the leagues long memory of sign-stealing disputes, and it shows how something as ordinary as publicly accessible practice footage can still set off a tense standoff between two veteran coaching staffs. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A QB Decision Fans Didn't Expect
Sam Darnolds return to the practice field could put the Seahawks in an unexpected spot entering Sundays game against the Washington Commanders. Sidelined since Sept. 9 with a glute strain, Darnold is expected to work on Wednesday in some capacity, giving Seattle its first real update in a stretch that has kept the quarterback situation in flux.
Mike Macdonald left the door open for Darnold to play if the week goes well, but Drew Lock has made the conversation more complicated. In two games filling in, Lock has completed 35 of 48 passes with four touchdowns and no turnovers, giving Seattle reason to believe it can keep rolling even as the team weighs how soon to turn back to its starter. [Read more 🡒]