Seahawks offensive and defensive grades from big TNF win

Defense

For weeks now, I’ve been telling 12s to remain patient with this defense. Over the last couple of weeks this team has been successful at applying pressure on the quarterback. Back in Week 7, the Seahawks pressured Murray 0 times. But, that was without Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap. Last night, it was a different story. Jamal Adams didn’t record any sacks but he was a factor as he got to Murray a couple of times. In fact, it was Adams who caused Murray to throw the ball to the ground, which resulted in an intentional grounding. On the next play, with a holding call on L.J. Collier (who started the game with a sack), the Seahawks got a safety and got the ball back.

How about Carlos Dunlap? This is why we brought him here. The Pro Bowler can still have an impact on big games and he showed that last night. He finished the game with 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits. Most importantly, on 4th and 10 while the Cardinals were trying to tie the game, Dunlap ended it by getting right by his defender and sacking Murray. This Seattle front four is developing chemistry and confidence. Expect them to only get better from here on out.

Cardinal fans were excited for this matchup as they thought their red hot offense would slice and dice this defense. But, Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright had different plans. I said it last week and I will say it again, rookie LB Jordyn Brooks is going to be a key part of this defense moving forward. He got beat in coverage last night on a blitz, but he has shown great effort and moves really well for his size.

The Cardinals entered this game with one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Last night, they rushed for a total of 57 yards. The Seahawks defense knew they needed to step up and they rallied behind their leader, Bobby Wagner, who was all over the place last night. One of the most impressive plays in this game was on a 3rd and 1 where Murray kept the ball on the option and was stopped behind the line of scrimmage by K.J. Wright. Wright didn’t give him the outside leverage, forced him back inside and made the stop for a loss. This Seattle defense held the Cardinals to a season-low of just 23 yards in the first quarter. They set the tone early in this game and played well for four quarters.

Without their number 1 and 2 cornerback, this banged-up Seattle secondary found a way to slow down DeAndre Hopkins. Coming off his impressive outing against the Bills, many predicted that Hopkins would have another big game. But, this Seattle defense had different plans. Great game planning and scheming put together by Ken Norton Jr. as Hopkins finished this game with only 5 catches for 51 yards. Seattle made Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk beat them. While they did pass for over 250 yards, it was nice to see this secondary hold a passing attack under 300 yards.

Quandre Diggs played a really nice game last night, flying all over the place, setting the tone early on with a big hit on TE Dan Arnold. Tre Flowers always deserves his credit. He did not shy away from the matchup against Hopkins. There were many times he went right up to the line of scrimmage and tried jamming him. I know he had help over the top, but it was good to see him playing with confidence. What this secondary is lacking is continuity. Hopefully, Shaq is set to return next week, so that these guys can build chemistry for the playoffs. But, last night was just a nice defensive performance all throughout.