The Arizona Cardinals head into Week 6 taking on one of the league’s most productive offenses. The Seattle Seahawks are seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 25.4 per game and eighth in yards, gaining an average of 368 per game.
The Cardinals slowed the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense last week in a loss, holding them to under 400 yards of offense for the first time this season and a season-low 20 points.
Can they do it again against the Seahawks?
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, speaking to reporters Thursday, detailed what their focus will be.
“It’s an offense that has two great receivers and a quarterback who is playing well and the running game is pretty good,” he said.
The two receivers are DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The quarterback is Geno Smith and the running back had been Rashaad Penny until he broke his leg last week. The Seahawks will turn to rookie Ken Walker, someone Joseph believes will be able to do some good things in this league.
“Penny’s hurt, obviously, but Walker, the rookie from Michigan State, is a real dude,” he said.
The key to defensive success will be simple — “Stopping the run and keeping 14 (Metcalf) from beating you and 16 (Lockett) from beating you is the plan.”
The Cardinals have recently done a very good job at limiting top receivers. They held Raiders WR Davante Adams to two catches for 16 yards. Rams WR Cooper Kupp, who has basically lit up everyone over the last two seasons, only had four catches for 45 yards against the Cardinals, and Eagles WR A.J. Brown only had three catches for 32 yards — all on their first possession of the game — last week.
“You have to stop their best players first,” Joseph said when asked about it. “If you don’t, you’re probably not going to win.”
They struggled with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in Week 1 and were blown out.
Joseph also believes that completely stopping opposing offenses is tougher than ever before with how teams spread players out and with league rules that promote offensive production.
He preaches three things.
“Yardage in this league is going to happen. You can’t worry about that in my opinion,” he said. “I think the most important thing is points, and that comes through third down, red zone and taking the ball away.”
On Sunday, Seattle might be able to move the ball, but if the Cardinals can limit their third-down conversions, hold them to field goals in the red zone and force a turnover or two, that should do the job.
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