The Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals for the tenth straight time on Sunday, and what may have been the least surprising thing was how predictable the game flow was.
The Cardinals have generally played Seattle tough in Glendale during this streak, and the Seahawks entered the game without their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold. In the first half, the game was tight. It was a 7-7 tie at the half.
But the Seahawks are a much deeper squad with outstanding players up and down their roster, while the Cardinals only have a few Pro Bowl-caliber performers. Therefore, over time, Seattle gradually pulled away and finished with a very impressive 31-7 win. It’s as if some computer models read all the data and spit out the most likely game imaginable.
5 takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks' impressive victory over the Arizona Cardinals
Given that, it’s hard to find a lot of surprising takeaways. Most of what happened on Sunday merely confirmed what we already knew. Still, when you think your team is among the league’s elite, it’s always nice to have that opinion confirmed.
Anthony Bradford matters
Let’s start with what might be the most controversial point. Anthony Bradford did not play against Arizona. Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens alternated at right guard. I realize that Seattle ran for over 160 yards and allowed just one sack. That suggests those replacements were fine. And for the most part, they were.
But Seattle struggled early on trying to run right. This showed up especially in the red zone, but it ran throughout much of the first half. By the second half, when the Seahawks simply wore out the Cardinals' defense, the line – including either Haynes or Stephens – looked fine.
But they missed Bradford's bulldozing run blocking, and it will be a problem if he is unavailable when they face more formidable run defenses.
Mike Macdonald’s sense of pressure is deadly
Speaking of wearing down the opponent, this is exactly what happened in Glendale. Macdonald talked about this in Hard Knocks. The Seahawks may trade body blows early. They may be in tight games. But they continue to apply pressure on every single play. On offense, they pound the defense with multiple tight ends and bruising runners. On defense, they attack from all angles throughout.
And eventually, the other team falters. That was never more obvious than on Sunday. Until two garbage-time runs in the closing seconds, Arizona managed a total of 20 yards in the entire second half. Seattle pounded out 191 yards of offense in the second half.
Arizona was leading in time of possession at the half. Seattle finished with a 13-minute advantage. And of course, after being tied at halftime, Macdonald’s pressure led to a 24-0 whooping in the second stanza.
No one plays better zone defense
This one is simple. Seattle relies on zone coverage for much of the game. And they are the best in the league at it for one simple reason. They tackle. Actually, they gang tackle. Seattle constantly allowed completions short of the first-down marker. Cardinals receivers seldom ran for the yards necessary to convert. I haven’t seen Arizona’s yards-after-catch stats, but they must be absurdly low.
This is a combination of versatile, elite athletes who balance aggression and discipline. Julian Love stood out on Sunday, but it could be anyone on any given play. They are coached brilliantly, and they execute. Offenses will gain yards on Seattle, but they won’t gain enough yards.
Add to that the adjustments made during the game – Trey McBride looked like an All-Pro early on and then was invisible in the second half – and you get a sense of just how impeccably this defense is coached. And how effectively they execute these swarming zone concepts.
Jadarian Price can do what Kenneth Walker III did last year
I was never worried about the three defenders Seattle lost this offseason. Their defensive depth seems bottomless. But I did worry about Walker’s departure. Specifically, I worried that they would not find a back who could scare a defense by bouncing plays outside and making opponents pay for over-pursuit. That is exactly what K9 did last year.
And it is what Price showed he could do on Sunday. He may not be quite as fast as Walker. He may not take as many of those plays the distance. But he is an instinctive runner with a great feel for when to cut back and when to bounce wide. Assuming he stays healthy, he will add that dangerous element to the offense.
Emanuel Wilson is what we thought he was
After a very quiet debut, Wilson made his real first impression on Sunday. Part of it was game flow – Seattle wanted to grind down the Cardinals' defense – and part of it was Price’s late injury. Whatever the reason, Wilson ran 21 times for 92 yards. He got stronger as the game went on, and the Cardinals' defenders began to tire.
He wasn’t great early, and he was stopped in the red zone several times in the first half. But Wilson showed that he can be a serviceable stand-in for Zach Charbonnet. He can help Seattle close out games late.
Oh, and here’s a hidden bonus takeaway. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is pretty good.
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