The Seahawks left Arizona with a result that looked complete from top to bottom: a 31-7 win over a division opponent, a 2-0 start, and a spot as one of just two unbeaten teams left in the NFC West.
What stood out most was how many different parts of the team had a hand in it. Seattle ran the ball, threw the ball, stopped Arizona on the ground and through the air, and got work from special teams too. That all happened even though some of the team’s top weapons either played only limited snaps or didn’t play at all.
Mike Salk said that under Mike Macdonald, the goal is a complementary football team, and in Arizona he saw more than that. He said that in Macdonald’s way of thinking, complementary means complete. The Seahawks looked that way on Sunday.
The defense remains the clearest strength on the roster, and it made life miserable for Arizona again. Seattle’s defense was helped by the offense’s ability to run the ball effectively, which kept that unit fresh and off the field.
The result was a second half that tilted hard in Seattle’s favor, with the Seahawks outscoring Arizona 24-0 after halftime. Through two games, Seattle has won the second half by a combined 37-3.
That defensive control set the stage for quarterback Drew Lock, who earned plenty of praise for the way he handled the game. Salk noted that Lock made big throws and protected the ball, serving as the right fit for a team that had the defense and running game doing so much of the heavy lifting.
Bob Stelton called it “Absolute domination!” and said the defense deserved to be the first thing mentioned. Arizona finished with seven points and 150 total yards at home, a number that underlined just how suffocating Seattle was.
Stelton also pointed out that the Seahawks led the NFL last season by allowing 17.2 points per game, and through the first two games this season they’ve given up 17 total points.
He praised Lock as well, saying he has been a professional backup and a strong teammate, and that he has made the most of the chance in front of him. After the 82-yard touchdown connection to JSN, the first half settled down, but the second half gave a clearer picture of what Lock and the offense could do when things opened up.
With the schedule getting tougher after next week, Stelton said these wins matter even more because of the injuries the Seahawks are dealing with. For now, though, Seattle has banked two clean wins and shown how dangerous it can be when all the pieces line up.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Sam Darnold Decision They Wanted Soon
The Seahawks have spent the first two weeks of the season building momentum without ever really getting their quarterback situation settled. They opened with a close win over the Patriots, then backed it up with a more convincing result against the Cardinals, and in the process Drew Lock has done enough in Sam Darnolds place to keep Seattle moving while the starter works back from the glute injury that kept him out of the opener.
Now Darnold is expected to return to practice this week, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, which means the conversation the Seahawks hoped to delay is suddenly here. Lock has handled the job well enough to keep the team unbeaten, but Seattle remains committed to Darnold as its starter, so the next step is less about whether the team likes what it has seen and more about how quickly it wants to hand the offense back to the quarterback it planned to build around. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Bigger QB Decision Than Fans Expected
Sam Darnolds availability has quickly become the Seahawks most interesting storyline heading into Week 3, even with Mike Macdonald making it clear the job belongs to the starter if hes healthy enough to go. Darnold has been dealing with a glute injury suffered in Week 1, and Seattle has had to weigh the value of getting him back on the field against the reality that Drew Lock has looked steady in relief.
Macdonald said Darnold is expected to practice in some capacity before the team makes its final call, which keeps the situation in motion for now. For a Seahawks offense trying to settle in early in the season, the question is no longer just whether Darnold can suit up, but whether Seattle has a reason to keep riding the hand the backup has given it if the starter is close but not quite ready. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face A Drew Lock Decision They May Not Afford
Sam Darnolds injury absence has already reminded the Seahawks how much value there is in a dependable No. 2 quarterback, and Drew Lock has filled that role well enough to keep Seattle afloat. In limited starts, he helped the team go 2-0, giving the staff a level of comfort that is hard to find once a season starts to turn on depth and availability.
Now comes the part Seattle would rather avoid: interest from the outside. With the Giants suddenly in need after Jaxson Darts season-ending injury, Lock is a name that could come up, but the Seahawks may be wiser to treat him as more than a movable asset. A reliable backup is one of those pieces teams only miss once they no longer have it, and Seattles situation makes that lesson feel especially current. [Read more 🡒]