The Seattle Seahawks will continue their title-defending campaign with a road divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. Sam Darnold remains out after missing most of the season opener with a right glute injury, so it'll be the Drew Lock show for the time being.
Of course, that's never an ideal scenario, but that's not because of Lock. Even so, he'll get more than a week to prepare for this contest, and at least he won't have to take the field to play against another Super Bowl contender.
Considering that, and knowing that things can be a bit gimmicky when teams are forced to play their backups, let's take a look at four bold predictions that could define this divisional clash of undefeated teams.
4 bold Seattle Seahawks predictions for Week 2
Drew Lock will throw for 200+ yards
Even with Brian Fleury keeping him on a short leash, Drew Lock still managed to put up 187 passing yards in Week 1 vs. the New England Patriots. That number should go up significantly in his second taste of action this season.
While the Cardinals' defense smothered Justin Herbert and didn't let him get into a rhythm in Week 1, they had all offseason to prepare for that one matchup. It was, essentially, their Super Bowl, and they won't be able to prepare the same way for the Seahawks' backup.
Also, there were some execution problems in Mike McDaniel's debut, as there were for the Seahawks with Brian Fleury. With Lock's love for downfield shots, we should expect plenty of big plays on this one.
Jadarian Price will out-run Jeremiyah Love
Jeremiyah Love may have been the first running back off the board, but he won't one-up his fellow Notre Dame Fighting Irish on this one. Unlike Jadarian Price, he's still a backup and stuck behind in the pecking order.
Love averaged a pedestrian 3.7 yards per carry in his debut. While he managed to find paydirt, his 11 carries for 41 yards were a far cry from the explosiveness his former college backup showed against the Patriots.
With more time to get acclimated to the offense after missing the preseason, Price should have a much bigger role in Week 2, especially without Darnold. He might even start a conversation about who was the best player on that backfield.
The Seahawks will create 4 turnovers
The Seahawks have the best defense in the game, and it's not particularly close. They'll get Nick Emmanwori back, and with Jacoby Brissett on the other side of the field, the Cardinals might have a long day in the office.
Their offensive line, while improved, is still a work in progress, and they won't be able to contain the Seahawks' elite pass rush. They'll keep Brissett on his toes and strip-sack him at least once. We also see a punch-out fumble in the running game.
The Dark Side secondary will continue to give quarterbacks nightmares for years to come. And with Brissett's limitations and Marvin Harrison Jr.'s unimpressive route-running, the table is set for a couple of picks at the very least.
Jalen Milroe will play
This one is exciting, although not necessarily for the best reasons. Jalen Milroe is a wild card, and he hasn't looked good when given a chance, but having him on the field can only mean two things: Either the game is a blowout or Brian Fleury got in his bag.
Either way, Milroe should have an opportunity to showcase his athleticism and dual-threat potential, be it taking over late in the game or taking the field for some trick plays. It may not always be an easy watch, but it will definitely be worth tuning in for, for better or worse.
Who knows? Maybe he plays well enough to get on another team's radar, make the Seahawks reconsider keeping Lock beyond this season, or get more run in Seattle on trick plays and goal-line situations.
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