It seemed unlikely. A Seahawks team that held only one opponent under 400 yards all year (Atlanta), and nobody under 27 points since week one, was going to need to control a ballgame against a division opponent with a #1 overall pick playing quarterback. The offense was going to be stymied on this day. Arizona came in with a smart game plan to take away the two Seahawks wideouts, and found their pass rush. If the Seahawks defense was anywhere close to as flawed as they have been in prior weeks, this was a certain loss. Instead, with some lineup changes, a pass rush of their own, and overall improved play, they held the Cardinals to just three points and lifted their team into a tie for first place in the NFC West.
This was not a pretty game. No matter who is on the opposing sideline or on the field for the Cardinals, it is often an ugly contest here in Seattle. Arizona started quickly with a 76 yard opening drive that resulted in three points. They gained 55 yards on their next drive, but stalled on 4th down. They gained 131 yards on their first two drives (65.5 per drive), and just 184 on their final nine (20.4 per drive).
This was not only about the Seahawks performance on defense. Arizona feels hopelessly flawed on offense with Kyler Murray at the helm. He is a dynamic athlete and gifted passer, but there is something in how he approaches the game and conducts himself that gives the impression that he is only interested in what comes easy. He neither handles nor leads through adversity with resolve. He has MVP level talent, but may just not be equipped to do everything it takes to win. He could be a little like Jeff George in that way.
The Seahawks defense did not get more talented. They simply made fewer mistakes. That same defense, playing the same way, would give up 20+ points to some other offenses. It would not, though, give up 30+ other than to the top teams. While not exactly thrilling, that is enough to win a good chunk of games remaining on the schedule.
The defense has been blamed for all the points Seattle has surrendered, but I have tried to make the point here the special teams has been arguably playing worse and obscuring actual progress on defense. They tried to blow this game as well with a blocked punt for a touchdown. Thankfully, that was their only miscue.
Jason Myers made all kicks (praise be!). Michael Dickson punted well. Coverage was good. There even was a punt return of more than two yards (DeeJay Dallas for 8).
Seattle is not close to talented enough to withstand terrible special teams blunders. They definitely cannot handle multiple each game.
One notable change on defense was the the Seahawks took Cody Barton off the field quite a bit more. He played 39% of the snaps after playing 85% most of the season. They went to more nickel and dime. Coby Bryant and Josh Jones saw more playing time.
Bryant forced his league-leading fourth fumble, and third in as many games. He also had a gorgeous pass breakup. This was his most complete game, without any asterisks. I love his makeup. He gives off almost the opposite vibe of Murray. Bryant burns with a competitive fire on every single snap and has an unshakable confidence that serves him well when he does give up a play.
His rookie cornerback partner is ascending to heights rarely seen. He had his fourth interception in four weeks, recovered his second fumble in two weeks, and gave up almost nothing in the pass game. He is putting up numbers that we have not seen from a rookie since the early 90s. Dale Carter, a speedy corner for the Chiefs in 1992, was the last rookie corner to have 4 INTs, return one for a TD, and have at least 2 fumble recoveries. Keep in mind, that is the last rookie to do that over the course of a full season. Tariq Woolen has done it in six games.
His teammates joked afterwards that he barely knows what is going on half the time. The fact that he is doing all this on athletic ability alone is remarkable. As he learns the players, the schemes, and gets more respect from officials, he has the potential to be the best corner in the NFL. Not bad for a fifth round pick.
We have to hope Tre Brown will recover from injury and be his former self. If he does, this immediately becomes the best young trio of corners in the NFL.
The defensive line was productive in this game. Six different players had sacks. Darrell Taylor finally stood out, getting his second strip sack of the year and playing a better game overall. Poona Ford went from absent to a handful, with three tackles for loss. Shelby Harris continues to be the most consistent member of the line and got a sack of his own. Quinton Jefferson got more snaps and created some pressure as well.
This group will not be great this season. If they can make just a few plays without surrendering so many, that can make the defense viable. Getting back Al Woods can only help.
Offense was a challenge in this game. Geno Smith did not play his best game. Some of that was due to the worst outing by the rookie tackles this season. Charles Cross, in particular, struggled a lot. Smith contributed to the problems by missing some reads at the line that led to free blitzers and holding onto the ball too long a few times. It was not a terrible game. It was just closer to what we all expected of him. To his credit, he called himself out after the game.
The good news was Kenneth Walker III had a terrific first start, with almost 100 yards and a nifty touchdown. Dee Eskridge also had arguably his best game as a Seahawk with three catches and some very rare yards after catch for the Seattle passing attack. Both players will be important parts of the rest of the season as teams key on DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
This was not a rousing victory, or even a particularly meaningful one, but it was arguably their most convincing so far. Seattle is not going to be a 3 win team with a top five pick (of their own). This rookie class and Smith are not going to allow that. This is roughly a .500 team, with some upside potential to being a fringe playoff contender. It will continue to be a fascinating new chapter for a franchise that made its most dramatic trade this past offseason.