The Seahawks didn’t just beat the Cardinals. They wore them down, hit them over the top, and then kept hammering until the game cracked open for good.
Seattle’s 31-7 win at Arizona was built around a huge day from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with 9 catches for 155 yards and the first three-touchdown game of his career. The Seahawks turned a 7-7 halftime tie into a runaway, extending their franchise-record winning streak to 12 straight and pushing their run of success against Arizona to 10 in a row, dating back to Russell Wilson’s final start in a Seahawks uniform.
Drew Lock was right in the middle of it, too. Filling in for the injured Sam Darnold, he turned in a clean, efficient outing: 19 completions on 26 attempts for 235 yards, 3 touchdowns and no turnovers. No matter who’s under center lately - Russ, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, or Lock - Seattle keeps finding a way to leave the Cardinals behind.
Arizona got the game’s first punch in a different way, though. Devin Duvernay’s kickoff return gave the Cardinals a short field, and they eventually cashed in on a Trey McBride touchdown catch to even the score at 7-7 early in the second quarter. That was about as good as it got for the home team.
Seattle’s first-half offense was sharp at times, but the Seahawks left points on the field. They opened with a lightning strike: Lock’s first throw went 82 yards to a completely uncovered Smith-Njigba for a touchdown.
Later, they moved the ball again and reached the goal line, only to come away empty after a string of run plays stalled out at the 1. A final chance before halftime also slipped away when Lock’s deep shot to Rashid Shaheed was tipped away, Cooper Kupp helped keep the drive alive with a 16-yard catch, and the possession ended with a sack on the Hail Mary attempt.
The Cardinals had their own chances to settle in, but Seattle’s defense kept them from building anything lasting. Leonard Williams got home for a third-down sack, and later the Seahawks survived an Arizona drive that was aided by favorable field position and a pass interference call on Rodney Thomas II. McBride’s score tied it, but the Cardinals couldn’t keep the pressure on after that.
Everything changed quickly after the break. Rashid Shaheed fumbled the opening kickoff, Chazz Surratt recovered it, and Seattle suddenly had the ball deep in Arizona territory. From there, Jadarian Price ripped off a 25-yard run and Lock found Smith-Njigba again on 3rd-and-goal to put Seattle back in front 14-7.
The turnovers kept coming. Julian Love came up with a pick, and the Seahawks turned that short field into points when Jason Myers drilled a 33-yarder after Eric Saubert was tackled for a 10-yard loss on a checkdown.
Arizona never found a response. Brissett, Love, McBride and the rest of the offense couldn’t generate anything explosive, and the Cardinals spent the second half chasing a game that was slipping away fast.
Smith-Njigba delivered the knockout blow on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ate more than five minutes and ended with his third touchdown, this one with Budda Baker in coverage. That made it 24-7 and all but shut the door.
Seattle then finished the job with a bruising 16-play, 70-yard march that took over 10 minutes and ended with A.J. Barner powering in for the final score.
The Seahawks also got enough out of the ground game to make the second half feel even more one-sided. After struggling early, Seattle finished with 162 rushing yards, including 92 from Emanuel Wilson and 52 from Jadarian Price. Price left late with a chest injury, and NT Brandon Pili was ruled out in the first half with a concussion.
Next up, Seattle heads to Washington for a Week 3 matchup against the Commanders, who are 0-2 after losing Jayden Daniels to a left arm injury. The game is set for Sunday, Sept. 27 at 10 am PT on FOX.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Backfield Concern They Could Not Afford
The Seahawks had already been managing the usual churn that comes with the backfield, and then Jadarian Price went down late in the fourth quarter with a chest injury. Before leaving, the starting running back had handled the load the way Seattle needed him to, piling up 13 carries for 52 yards and adding one catch for 8 yards as the offense tried to stay balanced.
Prices return is now questionable, which leaves another layer of uncertainty around a position the Seahawks could least afford to see thinned out. Emanuel Wilson stepped in and gave Seattle a lift with nearly 80 yards from scrimmage, but the bigger concern is whether the team has to navigate the next stretch without its starter or wait and see how quickly he can get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Darnold Recovery Gives Seahawks Fans Real Reason For Relief
Sam Darnolds Week 1 glute injury had the Seahawks bracing for a longer stretch without their new quarterback, but the early readout has been much better than expected. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport reported that Darnold is progressing quickly enough that he could be back on the practice field in the coming week, a notable step for a team that has already managed to keep winning in his absence.
Seattle has bought itself some breathing room with those victories, which makes the next few days especially important as the schedule starts to tighten up. A return as soon as Week 3 is still possible, though it sounds less likely than a more realistic target of Week 4, and the Seahawks will be watching closely to see how Darnold responds as he moves from rehab to football work. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Made A Statement And One Decision Still Demands Debate
The Seahawks 31-7 win over the Cardinals in Week 2 looked like the kind of complete performance that can settle a lot of early-season questions in one afternoon. Seattle got strong quarterback play from Drew Lock while Sam Darnold remained sidelined, and the defense did its part too, with Julian Love standing out in a game that tilted quickly and stayed that way. Even with all of that in place, the contest still featured one sequence that invited a closer look and kept the margin of victory from telling the whole story.
Brian Fleurys failed 4th-and-goal call was the sort of decision that can linger after a lopsided win, because it sat right beside so many encouraging signs for Seattle. The larger picture was positive, especially with Jaxon Smith-Njigba continuing to be viewed through the lens of how former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron handled his development, but the Seahawks also left the field with at least one call that will keep the discussion going long after the final score has faded. [Read more 🡒]