The Seattle Seahawks were most likely going to need to win ugly in Week 9. The team was missing a bunch of starters, including quarterback Sam Darnold, and was going through one of the worst stretches of head coach Mike Macdonald's time in the Pacific Northwest.
Although the Cardinals hadn't beaten Seattle in their last 10 tries, Arizona should have smelled blood. Whether they could take advantage of a humbled Seahawks defense was another story. 12s at Lumen Field certainly hoped they wouldn't.
4-4 entering the game already felt like a disappointment. Losing to the once-again rebuilding Cardinals would have made everything so much worse. Thankfully, 12s didn't have to worry about that. Seattle won 17-3.
Immediate takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks victory against the Arizona Cardinals
Many will want the Seahawks to change quarterbacks
Sam Darnold hasn't had a good season, and Drew Lock is 3-0 when taking the majority of snaps in a game. Most importantly, Lock hasn't turned the ball over this season, showing that when the Seattle quarterback doesn't make mistakes, the team wins.
The happiness of Lock's latest performance might be short-lived, though. He suffered an oblique injury during the game, so his availability for Week 10 is in real doubt. Jalen Milroe might be seeing a lot more QB1 reps in practice this week, assuming Darnold is still out with a quad issue and Lock needs to sit out with his new oblique problem.
A healthy Zach Charbonnet makes a huge difference
Seattle suffered earlier this season with no sustained running attack. Emauel Wilson did his best, but he simply doesn't have the strength of Zach Charbonnet or even Jadarian Price. Charbonnet can carry tacklers in a way few backs can, and he showed that gain in Week 9.
The running back got stronger as the game wore on, and he finished with 77 yards on 16 carries. He alone ran out the clock at the end. It's good to have him back.
Derick Hall is really good
Hall has been one of the more underrated defensive players for Seattle, maybe because he isn't as vocal as Devon Witherspoon and Ernest Jones. That's fine because he is still obviously an essential part of what Mike Macdonald wants to do.
Against the Cardinals, Hall, who had his contract extended before the season. had three tackles for loss. He was a brute against the run, but this isn't surprising to Seahawks fans. Hall has been doing the same work for the last several seasons and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future with the Seahawks.
Seattle shouldn't make any moves at the trade deadline
A victory against the Arizona Cardinals is nice, of course, but one has to remember that the Cardinals simply aren't good. The team is rebuilding, as they have done for the last many years. Even with the Seahawks playing with a bunch of backups, Seattle should win.
That means that while Seattle is battling for a playoff spot, it can't read too much into its Week 9 victory. The Seahawks should be able to win with the players they have and not give up any more draft capital. If Seattle misses the playoffs this season, the team's championship window isn't closed.
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