4 studs and no duds from the Seahawks Week 7 win over the Cardinals

Contrasting the not-so-pretty game against the Bengals last week, the Seattle Seahawks came to play against their division rivals in Week 7. It wasn't perfect, especially at the start, but it was a solid win for a team in need of a win to seemingly get the season back on track as they lurk in the shadows of the top seed in the NFC West, now just one game behind the 49ers.

There were some initial questions regarding how the offense, in particular, would perform in the absence of DK Metcalf, which was quickly put to rest, and a significant injury to star pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu in the first half set a damper on the afternoon.

However, Seattle did enough of the right things to outperform expectations to add an impressive win to the 2023 season. And the best part about it all (other than the win, of course) was the tremendous effort and, in some cases, career-best performances stealing the show and allowing us to discuss only studs of the game for the week.

Stud: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

In the least surprising news from this game, rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba stepped up and showed out on Sunday, demonstrating every reason why the Seahawks made sure to draft him earlier this year.

A lot of pressure was put on his shoulders coming into the matchup, with the news of Metcalf's injury keeping him sidelined announced not long before kickoff. But Smith-Njigba swiftly accepted the challenge and went on to have the best game of his short career thus far.

Amidst many standout performances by the team, the receiver was the most exciting to watch. He saw the most looks from Geno Smith since the start of the season, making four caches on seven targets for 63 yards. He also scored his first touchdown, and the first touchdown of the game, in the first quarter with a 28-yard pass to put the Seahawks in the lead right away.

Smith-Njigba maintained that tenacity the rest of the game and became Smith's most used target on the day. It was a good indication of what the young player can bring to the table, especially when a star player like Metcalf is unavailable.

Stud: Devon Witherspoon

On the other side of the team was another incredible display of being an absolute baller by rookie Devon Witherspoon. As if we needed another example of just how good this young cornerback is, his physicality and effort (which mostly didn't count) made him stand above the rest, as he played a significant factor in shutting down any positive offensive play by the Cardinals on Sunday.

If you look at the stat sheet, Witherspoon's performance won't exactly blow you away. But it's what he did on the field that was negated due to penalties by others that warrant him the title of a stud this week.

On top of his recorded four combined tackles and pass defended, he also (technically) nabbed his second career interception in the second quarter and a third sack, all at the expense of Joshua Dobbs.

Neither counted at the end of the day, but in the eyes of Seahawks fans, they forever will.

Studs: Boye Mafe and Darrell Taylor

This may be considered cheating since it was said that the studs list contained four players and not five. But it feels wrong to include Boye Mafe without Darrell Taylor because both of their performances were noteworthy on Sunday.

The pair led an impressive defensive start right out of the gate, making Joshua Dobbs' job a bit more complicated than he would have liked. Not only was the quarterback unable to complete 50% of his passes in the first half, but he was also consistently pressured by defenders, forcing the need to think quickly and try to get a play out before being taken to the ground.

That tone was set by Mafe and Taylor, who both absolutely dominated at the line of scrimmage through the entire 60 minutes of gameplay.

Together, they recorded six combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for a loss, two passes defended, and three quarterback hits, which basically instilled fear in the quarterbacks they are set to face over the rest of the season.

Stud: Jake Bobo

Much like fellow rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, we saw the rise of Jake Bobo within the Seahawks offense in Week 7. The pair set a record for the team, as their first-half touchdowns marked the first game in Seahawks history that two rookies got into the end zone in the same game.

And they were both pretty incredible touchdowns, too.

Falling just behind Smith-Njigba on the stat sheet, Bobo recorded 4/5 receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown that will have many talking for weeks to come. But what made his performance stand out from his teammates was his noticeable success with blocking throughout the game.

Depending on how long Metcalf may be out for, it was the perfect time for Bobo to have a breakout game. He and Smith-Njigba settled some doubts that may have been lingering and proved they can be reliable in any given situation, a big feat to celebrate and something to be excited about as they prepare to take on the Browns next week.

And just for good measure, let's take a look at that touchdown once more.

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