Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur passed his first test in his new gig in Week 1 by upsetting what many believed was a sure-fire, playoff-bound team in the Los Angeles Chargers. It was the biggest upset of the week, and LaFleur's Cardinals deserved the win through and through.
Week 2 presents an entirely different situation, though, as the Cardinals host their first home game of the season against their NFC West division rival, the Seattle Seahawks. There is a little history to this game—LaFleur and Mike Macdonald already have plenty of experience going up against one another.
Before landing in Arizona, LaFleur coached on the Los Angeles Rams' sideline for the past two seasons of Macdonald's coaching tenure in Seattle. LaFleur knows firsthand what it's like to play against the Seahawks, which is why he knows they can be a nightmare and that their defense will be the toughest part of Sunday's matchup.
Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFeur knows exactly why the Seattle Seahawks' defense is so dangerous
The Seahawks' defense has earned the respect of everyone in the NFL, from players to coaches to front office executives. They've earned that ever since Macdonald took over for Pete Carroll, but especially last year, when "The Dark Side" truly came to life.
Last season, the Cardinals went 0-2 against the Seahawks, and their 3-14 finish ended Jonathan Gannon's short-lived tenure as head coach, making way for LaFleur to step in. The Cardinals hope a branch from Sean McVay's tree can shift their fortunes not just in the NFL West, but in the league as a whole.
LeFleur is off to a nice start, but it may come crashing to a screeching halt if the Seahawks shut down Jacoby Brissett and Arizona's offense. Of course, the Seahawks defense would be the ones to thank for that, and LeFleur was shy in his praise of how dangerous Seattle is on defense, even calling last year's iteration historically the best.
"It's such a challenge. It's a challenge schematically, and it's one thing even if you feel good about what you're doing schematically (but) then you actually have to go do it against their players. That's a whole other issue," LaFleur said in press conferences this week.
"Just a ton of respect and not trying to put them on the pedestal, but they were, in my opinion, one of the best defense's probably this league has ever seen last year."
LaFleur wasn't the only Cardinals coach to view the Seahawks as a dreaded opponent; offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett also described Seattle's defense as a group that "keeps you up at night."
If the Seahawks completely have their way with the Cardinals on Sunday, Lafleur and his coaching staff may still be up for a few more nights afterward, finding sleep difficult and unreachable. For the Seahawks, while the win is expected, their quarterback situation makes this season's first matchup with the Cardinals interesting.
Without Sam Darnold, Seattle is counting on Drew Lock to outduel Brissett. Seattle has the advantage in almost every category at every position, and in coaching. At quarterback, though, it's not as clear. Brissett has the experience, so how Lock performs could determine where the Seahawks stand afterward: 1-1 or still undefeated.
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