The Seahawks got what they needed Sunday in a 17-3 home win over the Cardinals, and the game flipped in the kind of way that makes a locker room breathe easier. Seattle opened slowly, watched Arizona grab the lead, then found its rhythm before halftime and turned a tight first half into a two-score cushion.
From there, the Seahawks added a field goal on their only third-quarter possession and then spent the fourth quarter draining the clock. No points were scored after halftime.
There were plenty of bright spots in the win, starting with DeMarcus Lawrence. The veteran outside linebacker once again made life miserable for Arizona, piling up a sack, a forced fumble, a quarterback hit, two tackles for loss, and three total tackles.
He also set the tone for the rest of the group with the kind of physical edge that kept the Cardinals’ tackles on their heels. After his postgame comments, Lawrence came off as just as eager to praise Dante Fowler Jr. as he was to talk about his own day.
AJ Barner also made his presence felt in a way that went beyond the box score. The tight end has spent most of the season doing the dirty work as a blocker, but Sunday showed Brian Fleury has a clear plan for him near the goal line.
Barner was trusted early and often in scoring territory, and his blocking again helped the run game function the way Seattle wanted. He may not be built to produce like Trey McBride of the Cardinals or Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders, but he’s still developing and carving out his own path.
Byron Murphy II stepped up in a big way with Leonard Williams out. The third-year defensive tackle handled the load like a veteran, absorbing double teams so others could get home and still finishing with two tackles for loss and a sack of his own. He also continued working from stand-up looks, showing off the kind of athletic ability that doesn’t always jump off the screen until you see him up close.
Derick Hall added another disruptive outing to the list. He kept Arizona’s offense under constant pressure by getting his hands into blockers’ chests and driving them backward, and he held up well against the run too.
Hall’s style often forces plays back toward his teammates instead of finishing them himself, but that fits what Seattle wants from its defense. Even so, he still came away with three tackles for loss and was a problem all afternoon against Arizona’s backup offensive tackles.
Not everything on the Seattle side was a clean win, though. Emanuel Wilson, who is the team’s leading rusher, didn’t get a carry on offense for the second straight week.
With Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price healthy enough to lead the running back room, Wilson remains on the outside of the rotation. George Holani has also been pushed out of the mix, though he did contribute on special teams.
The Seahawks got the result they wanted, and the standout performances came from all over the defense and tight end room. Sunday was the kind of game that showed exactly who was making the biggest impact.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Week 10 Quarterback Problem Again
Drew Lock took another hit to Seattles quarterback depth chart on Sunday, leaving the game against Arizona with a new injury in his right hip area and still managing to stay on the field. The Seahawks now have to sort through the fallout of that issue while also waiting on a separate evaluation for an oblique injury, a reminder that the position has become a moving target again just as the season enters another critical stretch.
Mike Macdonald said Locks status is uncertain, and the timing is especially awkward because Sam Darnold is also dealing with quad and rib injuries and is considered week-to-week. For a team that has already spent too much time managing quarterback availability, Week 10 suddenly looks like another test of how much flexibility Seattle really has if both passers are limited. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Lock Just Gave Seahawks Fans A Real QB Debate
The Seahawks got through Week 9 with a 17-3 win over the Cardinals even while missing Leonard Williams and Uchenna Nwosu on defense, and the more interesting question afterward was what Drew Lock did at quarterback. Starting in place of Sam Darnold, Lock played through injuries, protected the ball and helped Seattle stay in control of a game that never really tilted back Arizonas way. Dante Fowler Jr. chipped in with key plays on the other side of the ball, and AJ Barner added a touchdown to round out a sturdy team effort.
What makes the conversation linger is how clean Lock looked in a spot where the Seahawks have had to manage uncertainty. Darnold did not play, and his season has already been defined by turnovers, so a mistake-free outing from Lock naturally invites a bigger look at the position. Seattle does not have to make a sweeping decision off one game, but after a win like this, the quarterback picture feels a lot less settled than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face A Trade Deadline Dilemma That Could Shape This Season
The Seahawks are heading into the NFL trade deadline with a familiar kind of front-office tension: whether to chase help now or protect the draft capital that keeps the roster stocked for later. General manager John Schneider has been weighing a range of possibilities, from edge rushers Khalil Mack and Jadeveon Clowney to running back Tony Pollard and tight end Dallas Goedert, as Seattle looks for ways to strengthen a team that wants to stay in the mix without mortgaging too much of its future.
Seattle has already made one notable move by bringing in left guard Quenton Nelson, though he is currently injured, which only adds to the urgency and the uncertainty around what comes next. The Seahawks want immediate impact, but they are also wary of paying a premium for short-term rentals, so the deadline could come down to how far Schneider is willing to go to help this season without emptying the cupboard for the next one. [Read more 🡒]