Last week, I chose to remain positive and look for ways that the Seattle Seahawks could pull off an improbable upset of the hated San Francisco 49ers. Things turned out swimmingly. So swimmingly that I will not dwell on the fact that none of my bold predictions came true. The Hawks won and that’s all that matters.
Besides, when you’re in the bold predictions game, you learn to squint at a lot of outcomes and see what you want to see. For instance, Seahawks’ running backs weren’t nearly as involved in the passing game as I prophesized, but… had Nick Bosa not left the game early with an injury, I suspect Seattle would have looked to get the ball out of Geno Smith’s hand a little faster and Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet would have been targeted a few more times.
And don’t forget, the attention paid by De’Vondre Campbell to Charbonnet’s shallow cross is why Geno was able to scramble for his game-winning touchdown. So – you know – partial credit there.
Bold predictions for the Seahawks versus the Cardinals in Week 12
And maybe Leonard Williams didn’t have the stats I predicted, but he was a force all game long. He was crucial to the Seahawks' improved run defense. On passing downs, he drew a holding call on Jake Brendel and ate up a double team on Dre’mont Jones’ sack of Brock Purdy. His stats were solid, but his impact went far beyond those sacks. So, again, partial credit.
See how easy this is?
And I predicted a big play on special teams. These days, a 57-yard field goal is about as ordinary as feeding the cat, but still, a nice play for Jason Myers, especially in a game that would be decided by three points.
Fine – I’m reaching. I know it. But who cares? Seattle beat San Fran. The latte tasted better on Monday morning.
Will that continue this Sunday when division-leading Arizona comes to town? I’m not predicting an outcome today. But I am predicting these three things will come to pass.
Trey McBride will have more combined yards than James Conner
In his third season, the Cardinals’ Trey McBride is developing into one of the league’s best tight ends. Even so, he is generally the third or fourth offensive option in most Cardinals’ games. Workhorse running back Conner remains the main weapon. Depending on the opponent and game script, Kyler Murray’s running and pass catchers, Marvin Harrison and McBride, are typically the next options.
McBride’s receiving yardage has outpaced Conner’s running yards in four of Arizona’s ten games this season, but if you include Conner’s receiving yards – which, for the record I am doing – the tight end has only outgained the running back twice. I think it will happen again on Sunday.
Why, you ask, when Seattle has struggled to stop the run all year, and the Cardinals like nothing more than to pound the rock? This prediction is a signal that Mike Macdonald has figured something out about his defense. He needed to fix the run defense during the bye week, and if the 49ers game is any indication, it looks as if he did. Roy Robertson-Harris, Tyrice Knight, and Ernest Jones are making a difference.
As they get more and more comfortable in their new roles, that should only improve the overall run defense. Devon Witherspoon is starting to look like the Spoon we know and love – as is Julian Love. (Not looking like a Spoon, mind you, just like a better version of the Love we saw earlier this season.)
So I think Macdonald draws up a plan to slow Conner but perhaps concedes a bit to McBride. However, I make no such claims about Emari Demercado, the Cardinals running back who actually scares me more in this particular game.
The teams will combine for at least four turnovers
Neither team has a major problem with turnovers. Last year, Seattle and Arizona were among the league’s best at protecting the ball, averaging right around one turnover per game. The Cardinals have maintained that standard so far in 2024. Geno Smith, in part due to offensive line woes, has already thrown as many picks as he has in any year since 2014. The Cardinals have a very good secondary, and I suspect they will claim a couple of interceptions.
However, I think the Seahawks' defense will rise to the occasion and take the ball away from Arizona a couple of times as well. I see a pick of a Kyler Murray pass and a hard hit on Marvin Harrison or Michael Wilson causing a fumble. Between them, the two teams only average about 2.5 turnovers per game, but I have this sneaky feeling that former defensive coordinators Jonathan Gannon and Mike Macdonald are going to get their defenses in position to make big plays on Sunday.
Bet the over
I don’t bet myself. Nor do I give advice on wagering. If I did, I would say the total for this game which currently stands at 47.5, is too low. I’d raise it by at least a point, but since this is a “bold” prediction article, I’ll say this game blows that total away and tops 55.
Since I just predicted multiple turnovers, you might assume this will be a low-scoring game dominated by the defenses. Not so fast. I think there will be plenty of big plays on both sides of the ball. And a lot of turnovers do not necessarily result in a low-scoring game. That is largely dependent on where in the field of play the turnovers occur.
A turnover in the opponent’s red zone does take points off the board. But a turnover on the offense’s side of the fifty creates a short field that generally leads to more scoring; the point is turnovers, and high totals are not mutually exclusive. I would not be at all surprised if this is the type of game that is just 13-10 at the half but ends 31-27 on a touchdown in the final two minutes.
Maybe on a Geno Smith scramble. Wouldn’t that be nice?