The Arizona Cardinals came into the rebound game against the Seattle Seahawks with hopes that perhaps there was a way they could dislodge the NFC West Division leaders. Seattle has proven to be a very
good team this year, so the Cardinals’ aspirations were certainly a hope and a prayer.
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But the Seahawks built a huge lead early in the first half, and then cruised to a 44-22 win over their division foe aided by a porous offensive line who caused two forced fumbles for touchdowns.
The loss now places the 3-6-0 Cardinals with the realization that perhaps their season is about at its end. With just eight games remaining, and the fact that it takes a minimum of 10 wins to secure a playoff berth, even if Arizona ran the table, it wouldn’t be enough to qualify for the postseason this year.
And besides, Arizona just did not play any sort of good game on Sunday. Not even close. In fact, they got taken to the woodshed. The loss of not having several of their best defensive players really showed.
So, who played well for the Cardinals? Who didn’t?
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WINNERS
TE Trey McBride – Nice catch and run in the first quarter, getting 20 yards to Seattle’s 34-yard line. The third-and-13 conversion for 18 yards to get to the Seahawks’ four-yard line was a thing of beauty. Nice outstretched catch in the second quarter for a 20-yard gain in the second quarter. The third-and-13 catch with just six minutes left before halftime got the Cardinals in business at the three-yard line.
Did you see what McBride did on the touchdown right after the fumble recovery? Lining up at the line, he blocked LB DeMarcus Lawrence, then fell to the turf for one Mississippi as all the other receivers went into one corner or the other in the end zone. This cleared out the middle. Then, McBride got up for the shuttle pass. Way to sell it. Unfortunately, it was called back. A 12-yard completion in Quarter 3 converted a fourth-and-11 play to midfield. Finished with 13 targets, 9 receptions for 127 yards, a 14.1 yards per reception average, and one touchdown.
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LOSERS
Fourth down situations – The Cardinals just could not convert on two critical fourth down plays after getting inside the five-yard line. Already down 35-0, Arizona took the ball on its own 35-yard line in the second quarter and drove the field with runs by RB Bam Knight and nice gains by McBride and WR Michael Wilson.
Arizona now had a first-and-goal from the four. Three plays netted just two yards. On fourth down, the Cardinals had spent an 11-play drive and got nothing as the Seahawks stonewalled with 10 defenders in the box. Their first possession of the second half looked promising, down 38-7. Got inside the five, and again, could not score.
First half defense – The Seahawks went up and down the field with ease in the first half. Their possessions: Touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, lost fumble, field goal, end of half. By the way, for the game, Seattle did not punt a single time.
Offensive line – The Cardinals had a good drive going in the second quarter. Right after QB Jacoby Brissett hit WR Michael Wilson with a 15-yard strike to Seattle’s 19-yard line, DE Leonard Williams got to the inside, who had a direct shot at Brissett for the sack. On this one play, three Cardinal offensive linemen were blocking Williams while LB Tyrice Knight came late to hit Brissett and cause the fumble, which resulted in a touchdown. OG Will Hernandez, OT Jonah Williams, and Kelvin Beachum were standing right where Knight rushed, but had pulled to the rightside instead, leaving a wide-open lane.
On a third-and-one with 6:37 left in the first quarter, RB Bam Knight got the handoff and started to the left side. Hernandez pulled and ran right past LB Drake Thomas, who nailed Knight for a loss. Third-down-and-11 early in the second quarter, Brissett was smothered as he attempted to pass. On the left side, three Cardinals were blocking two defenders while Hernandez had to block a blitzing Knight plus Lawrence. So, yes, a sack, fumble, and return for a touchdown occurred. Every time. Now, 28-0.
A third-and-10 with just over one minute left before halftime, and Brissett was mauled by three defenders who did nothing but get past their blocker.
Pass coverage – Everyone knew that Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league in receiving. No team should line up man coverage and think they can cover this guy. Yet, on Seattle’s first drive, CB Garrett Williams had single coverage while S Jalen Thompson got over to him late for the touchdown catch. What is the sense in double coverage when the second man isn’t even in the frame? Towards the end of the first period, QB Sam Darnold hit Smith-Njigba for 13 yards, again, in single coverage.
Seattle had a third-and-four halfway into the second quarter. WR Cooper Kupp just ran an out pattern to the right, to which nobody covered him. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, three Arizona defenders were covering Smith-Njigba and WR Dareke Young. Kupp was all alone at the 40-yard line, who then caught the ball and took it down to the aided by missed tackles by CB Kei-Trel Clark and S Budda Baker, before Thompson brought him down at the three for a 67-yard gain.
Play calling – Third-and-one at their own 39 with 12:58 left before halftime, the Cardinals had WR Greg Dortch out wide right, single back, and two tight ends in tight. To counter this, Seattle had 10 players up on the line. Why not bring out three receivers and a tight end in the slot to spread the defense out?
Instead, Dortch takes the handoff on the jet sweep, and instantly, two linebackers and a safety go to fill the hole as McBride’s man loses the block, and Dortch gets greeted by four defenders. Does this make any sense?
On the third-and-goal play from Seattle’s three, this is exactly what Arizona did: two receivers to the left, one to the right, and a tight end in the slot. The defense only had six in the box. Seattle dropped seven in coverage as RB Emari Demercado came out of the backfield and caught the ball at the two before being short a half yard. So, what happens on fourth-and-goal? You guessed it. Arizona lines up nine on the line with an offensive lineman at fullback and a single back, while, you guessed it, Seattle had all 11 guys in the box. Knight gets hit early and often and ends up with four different Seahawks touching him. Geez…..There were six defenders near him when he fell. Six.
After the fumble recovery, look what happened. Three receivers out, tight end in the slot, and Seattle was forced to spread out as McBride caught the short shuttle pass for the touchdown. With nine minutes left in the third stanza, another bunch formation on third-and-goal, in which DeMercado only got two, trying to run up the middle. Then the fourth down play was at least spread out, but a wasted 17-play drive with zero points.
2025 season – So much promise to begin the year. Start with the offensive line in this year’s free agency period, as well as the draft.
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Birdseed – This game went south quickly after “Here, hold my beer.”
QB Jacoby Brissett – Excellent read in the second quarter to McBride that got the offense to the three-yard line, and then made an excellent read on the shuttle pass to McBride right before halftime. Brissett had a nice 15-yard scramble early in the third quarter when he was flushed.
To be fair to Brissett, the offensive line played like crap with a pocket that imploded quickly on most passing plays. On both fumbles that resulted in defensive scoop-and-scores, the offensive line had enough bodies to match up with the players on defense rushing; they just didn’t pair up and instead had one guy blocking two, while on the other side, it was three guys blocking two.
The most impressive play was with 1:16 left in the second quarter with a third-and-10. Brissett had pressure from OT Paris Johnson’s man and also Hernandez’s defender, so he had to step up and look like he was going to take off. Except, he flings it to Demercado, who is just six yards ahead of him, and gains 34 yards.
An absolute strike to McBride with 11:00 left in the third quarter, who was the third option with tight coverage by S Ty Okada. On the fourth-and-goal midway in the third quarter, Brissett had open field to his left, and if nothing else, when it takes off, maybe a receiver would have gotten open. More than likely, he could have scored. Finished going 22-44 for 258 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and was sacked five times.
LB Zaven Collins – Nice job jumping on the fumble at the two in the second quarter instead of trying to be a hero and scoop it up. Four Seahawks had a chance at it if Collins does not fall on it and cradle it. Had zero tackles.
S Denzel Burke – Missed the open field tackle on RB George Holani with 1:26 left in the first quarter, who scored instead to make it 21-0. Had five tackles and one batted pass.
