We all entered the 2022 Seahawks season knowing this team would be going through a transition. The offense would likely be limited by career backup quarterback and rookies on the offensive line. The defense would be a little ahead of the offense with some quality coaches hired and some young stars like Jordyn Brooks and Darrell Taylor stepping forward. About all that…

Division football is always tough. Players know each other. Coaches know each other. Scores are usually close. The Cardinals and Seahawks have both followed that convention and defied it. Both teams have pretty consistently won in each other’s stadiums. The teams have split the season series in each of the last three seasons. Seattle is 6-4 against the Cardinals in the last five seasons, or barely above .500. At the same time, there have been some blowout wins for both teams, and generally a lot of high scores. The winning team has scored at least 27 points in six of the last seven matchups.

This could be another offensive game given the sorry state of both defenses. We know about the dreadful Seahawks defense. What most do not realize is how bad Arizona has been. They rank two spots behind the Seahawks in PFF rating, or dead last. They are dead last in the league in sack rate. They are 26th in DVOA.

Still without DeAndre Hopkins, they are also 23rd in offensive DVOA and 25th in special teams DVOA. In other words, they are a bad team thus far across the board. Still, they went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Eagles and nearly forced overtime.

The loss of Rashaad Penny is something to watch as he was a big part of what made this offense explosive. Seattle ranks tops in the NFL in yards per carry, in large part due to Penny. Kenneth Walker III gets his shot and showed explosion in New Orleans. His ability to keep the running game dangerous will be key for this offense.

This is a game the Seahawks should win, despite being underdogs at home.

The way this works: Each offense will be pitted against the opposing defense and compared on an array of key statistical attributes based on their respective rank in the NFL. The tables that follow show the rank of each unit for each of these categories. 

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Seahawks Offense vs Cardinals Defense

Cardinals key advantages on defense

J.J. Watt mans the middle of the Cardinals defense and should have a big advantage against Austin Blythe or whichever guard they choose to line him up against.

Budda Baker is still a big playmaker, and is physical against the run. Isaiah Simmons is a great athlete who can make plays across the field.

Seahawks key advantages on offense

Arizona is the worst pass defense Seattle has faced outside of Detroit. They rank 27th in DVOA. There is not a single starter with a PFF coverage grade over 65.0. Only one secondary player has a coverage grade over 60.0, and that’s Byron Murphy Jr. at 64.8.

There is some potential for interior pass rush with Zach Allen and Watt, but the edges are not comparable to teams Seattle has already faced.

Geno Smith should have time to throw, and should have a variety of matchups to choose from. Marco Wilson has been a massive weak spot at corner, so look for Seattle to target him a lot.

Cardinals Offense vs Seahawks Defense

Cardinals key advantages on offense

Kyler Murray is a threat through the air and with his feet, but has been pedestrian this year. His 84.3 passer rating is terrible and his 4.8 yards per run is arguably worse. He has not been sacked much at all, which indicates there just has not been a lot of punch to the offense. That is supported by their 32nd ranking in yards per pass attempt. Still, it is hard to imagine Seattle keeping him contained on scrambles.

Zach Ertz could be a problem for the tight ends in coverage. James Conner is a physical back who will break weak tackles.

Seahawks key advantages on defense

Tariq Woolen is becoming a star. Three straight weeks with an interception and giving up just a 40 passer rating on throws his way is All-Pro stuff. He is not at that level yet, but the signs are positive. Artie Burns returned last week and performed well. He may take more snaps from Michael Jackson.

The Cardinals offensive line has had trouble opening up holes for the run game. Maybe this is the game Seattle finally holds a team down in that regard. They need their special teams to stop shooting them in the gut multiple times a game.

Special Teams

Matt Prater missed last weeks game with a hip injury and his replacement missed a short field goal that would have tied it at the end. Seattle’s special teams has been as bad or worse than the defense the past two weeks. They have to stop making life so hard on an already bad defense.

Be sure to tune into Real Hawk Talk Wednesday night!

Thanks to Sarah and Chris Rood for sponsoring this series!