The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks for the second time this season and for the second time in four weeks. The Seahawks won the first matchup 19-9 in Seattle and now are riding a three-game winning streak that began with that win.
To catch up with what is new with the Seahawks, Seahawks Wire managing editor Tim Weaver answered a few questions to take use behind enemy lines.
His responses are below.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Defensive turnaround
It appears that the Seahawks turned things around defensively starting with the win over the Cardinals in Week 6. What has been the difference between Weeks 2-5, when they were giving up 34.5 points and 430 yards a game, and the last three?
There are several reasons for the defensive surge we’ve seen that began Week 6. For some context, the previous week the defense got embarrassed by Taysom Hill, who scored three touchdowns as a rusher and another as a passer. That seemed to have set them off, because the turnaround has been dramatic ever since. First, they are getting to the QB more — Kyler was sacked six times — then they sacked Justin Herbert three times — then Daniel Jones got five last week. So, pressure is a big part of it. They also finally fixed their run fits, so it’s been much tougher to run on them. Even Saquon Barkley couldn’t manage three yards per carry against them. The coverage has been strong all along but both Tariq Woolen and Mike Jackson are locking down their respective sides of the field and having Ryan Neal replace Josh Jones at the strong safety spot has made a big difference, as well.
Playing time and identity
What has changed with the Seahawks in terms of playing time and identity in the last three weeks since playing the Cardinals last?
Offensively it’s really been the same story all year: Geno Smith has suddenly raised his game to a Tom Brady-like level and it’s not dropping off. The short version of it is that he’s become incredibly accurate with the ball and is rarely making mistakes. While he doesn’t have a great arm, he’s more than willing to attack deep and has the highest PFF grade on those throws of 20+ yards. They’re even letting him throw on first down, which was previously unthinkable under Pete Carroll. That’s helped open up the run game – and both Rashaad Penny and now Ken Walker have thrived by taking advantage of good lanes. The tight ends have also been much more involved than they were under Russell Wilson’s direction. Now it’s truly a multiple offense that can beat you in a bunch of different ways and Geno is smart enough to know exactly which.
Chances of winning division
The Seahawks lead the division. Is their success sustainable for the rest of the season? What do you think their chances are of winning the division?
A month ago this would have sounded absolutely crazy – especially given how poorly their defense was performing. After just barely winning a shootout with the Lions the unit started turning things around in every aspect — pressure, run defense, coverage, it’s all dramatically improved. As long as Uchenna Nwosu and the other key guys stay healthy I don’t see why it can’t continue. With an offense that was already performing at a high level that puts Seattle’s ceiling pretty darn high for this season. The 49ers are just creepy-good defensively and I think they’re the biggest challenge, but this team is certainly capable of winning the division and at least competing in the playoffs with any NFC team outside of Philadelphia.
Geno Smith
Have the Seahawks found their quarterback for the next few years in Geno Smith?
Yes. During the entire offseason, my take was that they should definitely draft a quarterback with their first pick in 2023 — unless either Geno Smith or Drew Lock took a massive step forward in their development and became a legitimate star. Well, Geno’s done that. He’s performed at a top-five level all year — while not at throwing touchdowns at the same volume as guys like Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes — he’s extremely efficient and has managed to strike the exact right balance between being careful with the ball and being aggressive. Now, I don’t really have a problem with still taking a quarterback in the draft, but the plan right now should be to re-sign Geno Smith for at least another 2-3 years and move forward believing that he’s your guy. If Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud or another young QB is ok backing him up I’m all for it, but right now it’s completely insane to plan for anyone else but Geno to start Week 1 next year.
Strengths and weaknesses
What are the Seahawks’ greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses at this point in the season?
What if I told you that right now they really don’t have any weaknesses? Obviously, three games is not a massive sample size in the grand scheme of things but they have really been balling out in all three phases. The offense has been there all along, special teams were sloppy but have cleaned up, and the defense is true top-10 material right now and might get even better as the season goes on. Injuries can derail anybody, but it’s hard to be any more excited about this team’s immediate future right now.
Prediction
What is your prediction for the game this weekend?
It’s tough to sweep any division rivalry – especially as chaotic as this one. That said, I just think the overall momentum Seattle has going is too strong. Seahawks 34, Cardinals 20.
