The Seahawks didn’t need a fireworks show from the offense to handle Arizona again. Seattle’s defense did the heavy lifting in a Week 9 win, and it did it without Leonard Williams or Uchenna Nwosu. The Cardinals were stuck on a field goal in the first half, then barely moved at all after the break, finishing with just eight rushing yards in the second half.
That kind of control showed up right away when Arizona opened the third quarter with first and goal from the Seahawks’ four-yard line and still came away empty. Seattle slammed the door there, and the rest of the afternoon followed the same script.
A few defenders made the biggest difference as their stock climbed in the process.
Derick Hall turned in his best game of the season and filled a bigger role with Nwosu out. He helped Seattle choke off Arizona’s run game, and the numbers back it up: the Cardinals came in averaging 109 rushing yards and were held to 50. Hall finished with three tackles for loss.
Byron Murphy kept building on the momentum he’s already created. With Leonard Williams sidelined, there was some uncertainty about how the interior would hold up, but Murphy answered with two tackles for loss and a sack.
DeMarcus Lawrence finally delivered the kind of breakout Seattle had been waiting on. He picked up his first sack of the season on Sunday, added two tackles for loss, and also logged a QB hit. It was his best game of the year, and a timely one for a defense that needed him to flash.
Dante Fowler Jr. may have been the biggest surprise of the group. He had been easy to overlook in recent weeks, even as a possible trade candidate, but Sunday changed that. Fowler came through with a strip sack and looked like a real rotational piece for Seattle’s defense.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Bigger Problem Than Just Sundays Opponent
The Seahawks opened the week with more than just a matchup to sort through, as their first injury report ahead of the Raiders brought a mixed bag on both sides of the ball. Backup quarterback Drew Lock is working through elbow and oblique issues, though he is making progress and could be in line to start. On the positive side, Rashid Shaheed was back to full participation, giving Seattle at least one healthy offensive piece as the team begins to settle in for the week.
The bigger concern is up front and on defense, where Quenton Nelson and Charles Cross both sat out because of injuries, while Leonard Williams remained out with a stinger. Derick Hall was limited by a back injury and Uchenna Nwosu was limited with an ankle issue, leaving Seattle with several key names still in question before facing a Raiders team that appears to be trending toward near full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Still Need A Breakout And One Young Player Has Opening
The Seahawks have spent much of this season waiting for one of their younger players to turn promise into production, and injuries around the roster have made that search a little harder. Even so, there are still chances for someone to seize a larger role, especially with the offense looking for another spark beyond the steady work already coming from Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Jadarian Price is one of the names worth watching this week. The rookie running back has an opening to make a real impression against a weak rushing defense, and Seattle could use a breakout from a player still early in his NFL journey. If he can take advantage, it would give the Seahawks another useful piece at a time when they are still trying to identify who can help them most down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Pass Rush Has A Chance To Wreck A New Raiders Plan
The Raiders are turning the page to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza after moving on from Kirk Cousins, and that gives Seattles defense a fresh target heading into the matchup. Byron Murphy II and Mike Macdonald both sounded confident the Seahawks can make life difficult for Mendoza in his first NFL start, which is exactly the kind of test Seattles front likes to present when a young passer is thrown into the fire.
Klint Kubiak has already praised Mendozas preparation, but the Seahawks will be trying to turn a well-studied week into a long afternoon once the game starts. For Seattle, the bigger question is whether that pass rush can do more than just hurry a rookie - whether it can disrupt the Raiders new plan before it has a chance to settle in. [Read more 🡒]