The Seattle Seahawks had every excuse to lose to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. Head coach Mike Macdonald's team was down several key players, including defensive stalwarts Leonard Williams and Uchenna Nwosu.
Sure, the Cardinals hadn't defeated Seattle since the moon landing (it was real! seriously!), but if the Cards were ever going to do it, it was against so many backups of the Seahawks. The drop-off from Williams to Mike Morris was precipitous.
At this point, Seattle is playing to stay relevant, though a 17-3 victory over the Cardinals sure does feel nice. The trade deadline shouldn't be a real concern. The team has to get healthy before it can come close to worrying about the postseason.
Winners and losers for the Seattle Seahawks against the Arizona Cardinals
Winner: Drew Lock
Lock's toughness can't be disputed after his Week 9 performance. He was dealing with an elbow injury before the game and then appeared to suffer a hip issue during the game. He kept playing through the issues and did not turn the ball over. That part is most key, as that has been an issue when Sam Darnold has played.
Lock might not have been explosive, but he was smart and let his team win the game instead of trying to win it himself. He finished 19 of 28 passing for 175 yards and a touchdown. He also ran five times for 16 yards.
Winner: Nick Emmanwori
After a difficult Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, Emmanwori was back to being a difference-maker against the Cardinals. That included batting a pass away from tight end Trey McBride at the goal line midway through the fourth quarter with Seattle leading 17-3. A TD might have led to a change in outcome.
Winner: Dante Fowler Jr.
Finally, Fowler made some impactful plays. The free agent signee had done extremely little this season, but with Uchenna Nwosu once again out for the game, Fowler was needed. He came through with a key sack in the first half and was active around the ball early.
Can he keep that up? Let's hope. The Seahawks need to get back to having a fearsome foursome at edge rusher instead of a rotation that features two good edge rushers and a gimpy one.
Winner: Brian Fleury
Maybe the offensive coordinator needs to be forced to try to do less. He appears to call plays better when Drew Lock is playing instead of Sam Darnold, running the ball more frequently and just trying to move the chains. Sometimes, it's better to surrender and punt than call splashy plays.
Fleury is far from a finished product, and he should eventually be a solid OC, but trying to do less with a backup quarterback is better for him at this point. Plus, it helps when Seattle has Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price available.
Winner: AJ Barner
Barner was a bigger part of the game plan, and thank goodness for it. The Barn Yard push was used several times, and every time it worked. That included two first downs and a touchdown. Barner wasn't done with the one TD, though. He made a magnificent catch at the goal line to score his score. The literal difference in the score of the game? AJ Barner.
Loser: Sam Darnold
Darnold didn't play, of course, but the team is now 3-0 in 2026 when his backup takes the majority of reps. With Darnold, the team is 1-4. Darnold also has had far too many turnovers this season, and Lock is proving that the Seahawks could have a QB who doesn't throw interceptions or fumble.
Will the Seattle Seahawks have a quarterback controversy? No, but if Lock plays in Week 10 and the team defeats the Las Vegas Raiders, there could be a strong call to make a change at QB.
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