5 winners and 1 loser from Seahawks Week 12 victory over Cardinals

It wasn't pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks pulled off another big win to put them in first place in the division. The Seahawks should have won this game more easily than they did, I can't dispute that. But they sure are coming up with a lot of winners lately.

As we've seen in virtually every one of the Seahawks' six wins this season, they left too many points on the field. They certainly did that in the Week 9 loss to the Rams. If Geno Smith doesn't throw two of the most egregious interceptions of his career, Seattle probably wins that game 34-13. At the least, the Hawks should have scored two field goals in those red-zone plays. Take away the pick-six, and it's an easy 26-13 Seattle win over Los Angeles.

The big Week 12 win over the Cardinals was no different. Sure, we'll all take a 16-6 win. The turnaround of the Hawk defense has been phenomenal. In the last three weeks, all against division rivals, they've surrendered a total of 36 points in regulation. It certainly seems that Mike Macdonald has the right scheme on defense.

Winners and losers from the Seahawks Week 12 victory over the Cardinals

Winner: Leonard Williams

The Big Cat has been eating well since he arrived in Seattle after Week 8. He came into the showdown with the Cardinals as the Seahawks' second-highest-graded defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That was just behind Julian Love, for the completists out there among the 12s.

I cannot imagine that he won't vault to the top after this performance. I don't know, 12s, you tell me. Would you say two and a half sacks, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for a loss are any good? He even broke up a pass, just for fun. Williams applied relentless pressure to Cards QB Kyler Murray, and he was a key component of Seattle's stifling of the Arizona running game. Willams is basically a winner every week, but never more so than in this game.

Winner: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The second-year player came into Week 12 with a comfortable lead as the Seahawks leading receiver. He had 60 catches compared to DK Metcalf's 42. Yes, Metcalf missed two games, so the disparity isn't actually that great. JSN was averaging 6.0 receptions per game, while DK brought in an average of 5.3. Yet when Metcalf returned last week versus the Niners, Smith-Njigba had 10 catches compared to the veteran's seven.

JSN continued his destruction of defensive backfields against the Cardinals. For the fourth consecutive game, he led the Hawks in catches, this time hauling in six balls for 77 yards. He also scored Seattle's only offensive touchdown. He set that up by turning a screen pass into a game-breaking 46-yard gain. Some may think Smith-Njigba still isn't the best receiver on this team, but he's certainly playing like it.

Winner: Devon Witherspoon

Man: if you're looking for an example of a player whose contributions don't all show up in the stat sheet, allow me to present the fifth overall selection of the 2023 NFL draft. He made five solo tackles against the Cards but wasn't credited with any pass breakups or tackles for a loss, let alone sacks or interceptions.

No, all he did was turn the game around with not one, but two amazing plays on the same down. With Seattle protecting a far-too-slim 7-3 lead in the third quarter, Kyler Murray rolled out on an RPO play. Spoon closed the gap on Murray like a viper. You can take your pick between the reptile and the Dodge supercar. Either way, it was quick. Murray panicked and floated the ball into the hands of Hawks safety Coby Bryant, who streaked down the sideline for a 69-yard Seahawks touchdown.

The second great play by Witherspoon was the block he threw to stop the final Arizona attempt to track down Bryant. Yes, Bryant made the pick and scored, but Witherspoon made it happen on both ends of the spectacular play. You know, since Coby was named after the Mamba, I guess Spoon struck at Murray like a venomous reptile after all.

Winners: Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight

I can't separate the two here. Okay, if I was going to give the nod to one man, it would be Jones. He's been phenomenal since his arrival in Seattle just before the Buffalo game. He's been the Hawks leading tackler, or at least tied of the lead, in all four of his games as Seattle's middle linebacker.

What's amazing is how well rookie Tyrice Knight has played as Jones' weakside partner. As the great Bob Condotta wrote in his game grades for The Seattle Times, the pair have been a revelation. Jone led Settle with 10 tackles, but Knight was right behind him with nine. The fourth-round rookie from UTEP collected his first sack and threw in a QB hit and a tackle for a loss as well.

Most impressive was their control of the Arizona running game. James Connor leads the league in PFF's elusiveness rating. Basically, it means he's hard to tackle; duh. He came into the contest with 697 yards on 159 carries. He added eight more on seven tries. No, that is not a typo. The Cardinals came into the game with 1494 yards rushing on 285 attempts, a 5.2-yard average. They gained just 49 yards on 14 carries against the Hawks. Yes, the defensive line has something to do with it. But Seattle was getting shredded on the ground before. No longer.

Loser: Seahawks offensive line

Yes, you're tired of reading about it. Guess what, 12s, I'm tired of writing about it. In Bob Condotta's grades linked above, he gave the Hawks O-line a C. Just as with last week's B, I think he's being kind. The Cardinals racked up five sacks and six quarterback hits on Geno Smith. They also tallied eight tackles for a loss. Seattle only generated 65 rushing yards, mainly due to guys with red birds on their helmets greeting Kenneth Walker III in his own backfield on play after play.

This line may no longer be terrible with the return of Abe Lucas, but they are miles from being a good line. Yes, they're playing better, but good lines don't allow nine sacks over the two games in which they have allegedly improved. They don't allow just 1.8 yards before contact on one of the best backs in the league, Ken Walker.

In 2023, he averaged 2.6 yards before contact, and in 2022, it was 2.7. If you were curious, Derrick Henry is getting 3.3 yards before he's touched in Baltimore, while Saquon Barkley enjoys a 3.7-yard head start before a defender hits him. So please, tell me again how good this line is.

Still, this was an exceptional performance by the Seahawks defense. Kenneth Walker III made the most of what he could, and even Zach Charbonnet looked like a legitimate NFL back on a few plays. He's getting 1.4 yards before contact, by the way. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a breakaway stat. Literally. Suddenly, the future looks bright for the Hawks.