Defense Shines as Seahawks Complete Season Sweep of Cardinals
The Seattle Seahawks moved to 7-2 on the season and kept their lead in the NFC West with their 44-22 drubbing of the Cardinals on Sunday. It was never really a game, as an early Seahawks onslaught put them up 35-0 at the 9:33 mark in the second quarter. The Cardinals played a much better second half, outscoring the Seahawks 15-6, but the first-half deficit proved far too large for them to overcome. The loss sends Arizona to 3-6 on the season, pushing them closer to being eliminated from playoff contention.
Young Seahawks Make Plays on Defense
The Seahawks defense, which has been phenomenal so far in 2025, started this game on a heater. On Arizona’s first drive of the game, Tyrice Knight forced Jacoby Brissett to fumble, which was then taken to the house by DeMarcus Lawrence to put the Seahawks up 14-0. On the Cardinals' third drive, Knight forced a second Brissett fumble, resulting in another Lawrence scoop and score. Knight wasn’t the only young Seahawks player who was making plays, as Nick Emmanwori further solidified his case for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Emmanwori totaled nine tackles, a half of a sack, and four pass breakups. These performances show how Seattle is building an elite young core on their defense.
Sam Darnold Continues to Be a Mixed Bag
When the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold this offseason, the biggest question was his consistency. Darnold came into this game riding high after his 300-yard, four-touchdown performance in week caused some to put him in the MVP conversation, but he came crashing back to Earth this week. Playing against a Cardinals team that was missing its top two cornerbacks, Darnold completed 10 of 14 passes for only 178 yards, adding a touchdown and an interception. On top of that, Darnold fumbled the ball twice and lost both. While the Seahawks have been winning, Darnold's on-and-off performance throughout 2025 should be a concern for Seattle. Darnold needs to bounce back after this week, as the Seahawks take on the Rams in Week 11 in a battle for the NFC West lead.
