The Seattle Seahawks went on the road to take on the Arizona Cardinals Sunday in the first divisional match up of the year for either team.
Arizona kept things close early, but Seattle pulled away in the second half, with the final tally giving the Seahawks a 31-7 win to keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West.
That final score is so lopsided it makes it easy to forget that the many of the players who were on the field for the Seahawks for much of the game were expected to spend most
of the season on the bench. Quarterback Drew Lock needed a little time to get loose when he was forced into action against the New England Patriots in Week 1, but has played some of the best football of his career since halftime of the opener.
Third year offensive lineman Christian Haynes, a third round pick out of UConn in 2024, started for the first time in his career while rotating with 2026 Day 3 selection Beau Stephens, who made his regular season NFL debut against Arizona. Running back Emmanuel Wilson, whose 92 yards on the ground were the second best of his career, carried 21 times during the game, compared to 13 attempts for the first round pick of the Seahawks in the draft in April, Jadarian Price. Add in significant snaps for Brady Russell, Nick Kallerup and Eric Saubert, and it’s easy to see why other teams have been quick to improve their roster by claiming former Seahawks off the waiver wire. (Author’s Note: There is perhaps no better example of this than the Raiders, a team which won all of three games during the entire 2025 season, starting 2-0 after claiming Bryce Cabeldue off the waiver wire ahead of Week 1.)
On the defensive side of the ball, practice squad elevatee Rodney Thomas led the group in snaps played, staying on the field for all 50 snaps the defense logged. Nick Emmanwori had a very light workload in his first action of the season, as there was no need to risk rushing things against Jacoby Brissett and the rest of the Cardinals offense.
When the Seahawks special teams took to the field, just as it has been in years past, it was Brady Russell leading the way with 22 snaps. Right behind Russell were Tyrice Knight, Chazz Surratt, Patrick O’Connell and George Holani, with 17 snaps each. As for players who only saw the field on special teams and did not play a single snap on offense or defense, former Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Avery Smith led the team with 14 special teams snaps as he continues to learn the system and scheme after arriving in a trade on the day of roster cuts.
And with the ghosts of Glendale in the rear view mirror, it’s a trip east to the DMV in Week 3 to take on Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders.
