The Seahawks spent the first half of Sunday’s game reminding everybody this wasn’t going to be a walkover. Then the second half arrived, and Seattle looked exactly like the kind of team that can bury an opponent in a hurry. Mike Macdonald’s group rolled past the Cardinals 31-7, turning a tight game into a showcase and giving Arizona plenty of lessons to sort through.
Seattle didn’t play a perfect game, especially early. But once the Seahawks settled in, the talent gap showed up in a big way. The only real question hanging over the win is whether the team will need Sam Darnold back by Week 3.
Brian Fleury got an education in game management along the way. On 4th-and-goal in the second quarter, Seattle decided to go for it rather than take the three points in a close game, and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury dialed up a run to the right side that Arizona stopped cold.
It was the kind of call that leaves you wondering if a more seasoned play-caller would have reached for something else entirely. Maybe the better choice was a play-action pass, especially with the tight ends on the field.
Then again, Macdonald’s decision to chase the touchdown was part of the equation too.
Fleury also leaned on the ground game to open the third quarter, calling two straight runs after Seattle got 1st-and-goal. That sequence ended with Jaxon Smith-Njigba scoring on a touchdown catch to make it 14-7, which felt like a reminder that a pass was probably the only sensible answer at that point.
Smith-Njigba, in fact, was the star of the night. Against Arizona, he caught nine passes for 155 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. That kind of production is hard to miss, and it only sharpened the point that Seattle has a special weapon on its hands.
Julian Love was just as important on the other side of the ball, even if his work is the kind that tends to slip past casual notice. He came up with multiple passes defensed and delivered one of the game’s best interceptions.
What a catch by Julian Love for the @Seahawks INT! 🤩
📺: FOX/FOX One pic.twitter.com/Z2vdwGvibu
- FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 20, 2026
Love keeps stacking up those kinds of plays while also doing the dirty work against the run and bringing leadership to the defense. If he keeps this up, he’ll make a strong case for a Pro Bowl nod, even if that process is more popularity contest than pure merit. The Seahawks would have loved to have had him healthy last season, and now that he’s back, opposing offenses have one more problem to solve.
Drew Lock kept making his own case, too. For most of the game, he looked like more than a backup filling in - he looked like a quarterback who can start.
Lock finished 19 of 26 for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and three more of his throws were on target but dropped. Since Sam Darnold was injured on the first drive of Week 1, Lock has done enough to make people take him seriously.
That kind of performance should help his next contract situation, whatever shape that takes. He is a free agent next year, and he still has every reason to believe a QB1 opportunity is out there.
The bigger story, though, was what Seattle did to Arizona once the game opened up. The Cardinals may have beaten the Chargers in Week 1, but they were never really a threat to the Seahawks. They’re in a rebuild, and on this day, they looked like a team still a long way from matching what Seattle can put on the field.
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 Just Sent A Clear Message With That Cardinals Beatdown
The Seahawks win over the Cardinals looked less like a September escape and more like a team settling into an identity. Seattle controlled the second half with a steadier pace, smarter game management and a defense that kept Arizona from finding much rhythm, all while doing it without several key players who would normally be part of the conversation. Backup quarterback Drew Lock also helped steady things, giving the offense enough competence to let the rest of the roster take over.
For a team still working through absences and lineup shuffling, the bigger message was how composed it looked once the game started tilting its way. The coaching staff leaned into the matchup well, the defense did its part by squeezing the Cardinals, and the Seahawks showed the kind of resilience that can travel with a team over the long haul. What comes next is whether this kind of clean, controlled finish becomes a habit instead of just a statement win. [Read more 🡒]