Seahawks: 8 takeaways from a weird win over the Cardinals
The Seahawks and the Cardinals played another weird one today. Seattle was sloppy in all three phases at times and they have certainly performed better this season, but they were good enough for a 31-21 road victory.
Here are eight takeaways from a typically-wild win over Arizona.
Ken Walker closed the Cards out
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Nobody has actually stopped Ken Walker as of yet – the best teams have managed to do so far is to marginally slow him down. The Cardinals did that for three quarters, limiting Walker to short and medium gains on the ground for most of the game. However, when the fourth quarter came around they could no longer contain him. Walker exploded in the final stanza, racking up a bunch of extra yards after contact. After a very slow start, he finished with 109 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
Geno Smith was lucky
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Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good. Geno Smith has been exactly that (good) for most of this season, but today he had a bit of help. This was his weakest performance in 2022 – highlighted by an ugly pick-six in the third quarter on a screen pass. Smith also narrowly avoided throwing two more interceptions on the plays just before he threw his two touchdown passes. In the end, Smith went 26/34 for 275 yards and a somewhat misleading 106.9 passer rating.
Tyler Lockett ties Doug Baldwin's TD record
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The Seahawks’ passing game was a bit of a mess this afternoon. One bright spot was a couple of clutch catches by Tyler Lockett, who’s made a habit of torching the Cardinals every time he sees them. Today Lockett caught all five of his targets, totaling 67 yards and a touchdown – the 49th of his career. That ties him with Doug Baldwin for second most in franchise history. He needs just 51 more to catch Steve Largent.
Noah Fant's breakout game
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After a series of quiet performances, the Seahawks finally got a breakout game from the tight end that came over in the Russell Wilson trade. Noah Fant had the best game of his 2022 season, totaling a team-high 96 receiving yards on five catches, including a back-breaking 51-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter.
Defense rallies after costly early mistakes
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Seattle’s defense continues to perform far better than it did during the first month of the season. That said, there were a few early brain-farts that turned out to be costly. On Arizona’s first third down Kyler Murray had the pocket collapse on him instantly. However, Uchenna Nwosu broke containment and Murray escaped for a 21-yard gain. Later, Jordyn Brooks appeared to miss his assignment on a play that eventually saw Boye Mafe trying to cover DeAndre Hopkins, who scored a touchdown easily.
The defense rallied, though and Arizona’s offense didn’t score again until late in the fourth quarter. Nwosu posted two more sacks, Coby Bryant and Ryan Neal both forced fumbles and Tariq Woolen made several impressive stops.
No answer for Kyler Murray running
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There was one notable exception to the rule, though: this is a recurring theme we have seen over the last several years: the Seahawks simply don’t have an answer for Kyler Murray’s incredible speed and elusiveness as a rusher. Murray’s scrambles were Arizona’s most-effective offensive weapon today – both a sad reflection on Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme and a credit to Murray’s athleticism. Kyler posted 60 yards on eight attempts – 7.5 yards per carry.
Jason Myers is money again
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One guy who’s consistently been on his game this year has been kicker Jason Myers. Today he nailed a 49-yarder to begin the scoring for Seattle. For the season he’s 18/19 on field goal attempts and 25/26 on extra points. Myers had an inconsistent 2021 season so it’s good to see him back in proper form.
Seahawks on a roll going into Germany
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A win is a win, but taking four in a row in this league is never an accident. Beginning with their Week 6 victory over these same Cardinals, the Seahawks have now reeled off four straight wins, improving their record to 6-3, taking the division lead and establishing themselves as legitimate conference contenders in the process. Next up, they’ll be on an international stage as they play the Buccaneers in Munich early next Sunday in the NFL’s first game ever in Germany.
