This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…
Division games are the lifeblood of the NFL. You get to know your opponent by playing them twice a year, every year. While there is always a clear favorite, just about anything can happen.
Therefore, while the Seahawks have won nine straight against the Arizona Cardinals — and are clearly the better team going into this matchup — Mike Macdonald will have his team fully focused on this matchup.
He will need it, as the Cardinals are not the same opponent they faced in Week Four. They have made changes and are playing a better-quality game of football as a result.
Kyler Murray’s season is essentially over and his future in Arizona is less certain than it has ever been. Jacoby Brissett now runs the offense and the improvement is noticeable. With Brissett at the helm, Arizona has scored an average of 25 points on over 330 yards of offense in their last three games.
Although they are 1-2 in that stretch, the two losses were to very good teams (Indianapolis and Green Bay) by only four points. Their win in Dallas in prime time was impressive.
How are they doing it? Brissett is pushing the ball further down the field. Murray was throwing short passes at an incredible rate, only throwing 3.8 Intended Air Yards per completion. Brissett’s number? Almost double Murray’s at 6.9.
Brissett is also smartly targeting star Tight End Trey McBride far more frequently. McBride is on a heater with Brissett throwing to him: in three games he has about eleven targets per game (almost double what Murray gave him) and has 200 receiving yards, eleven first downs and four touchdowns. He is going to be a problem to defend.
First-round pick Walter Nolen has also finally made his NFL debut and is earning rave reviews for his work in the middle of the Cardinals defensive line. Between Nolen, the ageless Calais Campbell (he is on pace for his first 10-sack season since 2018 – Nolen was a freshman in high school then!) and Josh Sweat, the Seahawks’ Offensive Line that has performed so well year-to-date will need to keep their progress going.
This Seahawks team is different as well. They have a fully healthy Devon Witherspoon, DeMarcus Lawrence, Robbie Ouzts and Nick Emmanwori back for this game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his “worst” game of the season against the Cardinals in Week Four (a mere-mortal 4 catches for 79 yards) and will want to improve on that against their depleted secondary.
Can the Seahawks really make it ten straight wins? Five full season sweeps of the Cardinals?
Here is how.
Win the Ground Game on Both Sides
The Cardinals are running a game plan not unlike the Seahawks on offense: Close to a 50/50 split on runs and passes. The run is not so much a strong attack as a balancing tool to keep the defense honest. The main difference is their passing game is nowhere near as explosive.
In the last three games, the Cardinals are running at 3.71 yards per carry, near the bottom of the NFL. While they are by no means a major threat on the ground, Emari Demercado was a big, big factor in the Cardinals’ win against the Cowboys, with four runs of ten or more yards.
His best runs came when he attacked the edges of the Cowboys defense.
The Seahawks will need DeMarcus Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu and the linebacking crew to be fast and strong in those areas. They are currently the top run defense in the NFL, conceding only 3.5 yards per carry, and they will need to play like it.
Why so important?
Brissett is not a Quarterback that can regularly take over games and will his team to victory. Force him into that position and you have a very good chance of keeping this offense down.
More on that in a minute.
Now for the other side: The Cardinals defense is also not doing well on the ground. In the last three games, they are conceding a very healthy 5.17 yards per carry. Granted, we are talking about against Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs, two of the best out there at the moment. But in that Cowboys game Javonte Williams also ran very effectively.
Where did they find their greatest success running the ball? It does not take a genius to see where the Seahawks should focus their efforts:
The left edge of the Cardinals defense has been especially vulnerable on the ground. The Seahawks should run behind Charles Cross and Grey Zabel, with Robbie Ouzts leading the runner through the holes.
A run like this is something that could truly establish their offense and lead to further success in controlling the game.
I know, I know. Blah blah blah.
We have been talking about the running game all season long. But you should know, the Seahawks’ best running performance of the year was in Week Four against this team. Combine that with the recent stretch of poor play by the Cardinals defenders and you have a recipe for a game that helps the offense be more balanced and put a ton of pressure on the opposing Quarterback.
That is the other key to success.
Keep Jacoby Brissett Uncomfortable
Week talked about Brissett last year in Week Two when the Seahawks faced him in New England.
To briefly recap: Brissett is an adequate Quarterback whose main attribute is that he rarely throws interceptions and keeps the offense on schedule. When he has to scan and find his second or third option, his effectiveness plummets.
His 2025 splits when he gets the ball out in under 2.5 seconds and when he does not are wild:
His accuracy and rating plummet and his sacks skyrocket. He is facing a 34% pressure rate in the three games. If he can get to his first read, that pressure will not be effective.
He has worked very well with McBride because he can quickly get open and run after the catch.
Mike Macdonald needs to marry the pass rush to effective coverage. I know this is easier said than done but McBride cannot regularly get a clean release from the line of scrimmage. If they can move him off his route even a little, it is like a grain of sand getting into a microchip and shorting it out.
Watch what happens when a defender gets in the way of Brissett’s first target.
The route is a bit of a pre-programmed response. Brissett does not see the defender coming across and “incidentally contacting” the receiver and throwing him off his route. He takes the snap and throws quickly. A rare interception and threat neutralized.
Nick Emmanwori, Coby Bryant and Devon Witherspoon will all be valuable weapons here. Their speed, vision and ability to diagnose will be put on display.
