The Seattle Seahawks played their most important game in the fledgling Mike Macdonald era on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. After the seemingly lost month of October, Macdonald and his men passed their test. Coming off a bye, the Hawks broke a six-game losing streak to San Fran and won a crucial divisional game.
It wasn’t exactly pretty, and plenty of issues remain to be addressed, but with the win, Seattle improved to 5-5 on the year and kept themselves firmly in the race for the NFC West title.
This Sunday, the Hawks get their first crack at the team they are currently chasing, the surprising Arizona Cardinals. They host Kyler Murray, Budda Baker, and the rest this week and then travel to Glendale two weeks later for the return match.
Those two games will go a long way toward determining how successful Macdonald’s first season as head coach will be. The west is extraordinarily clustered at midseason, and Seattle does not have many tiebreakers in their favor. But that all changes if they can find a way to sweep Arizona.
It will not be easy. The Cardinals, now in their second season under Jonathan Gannon, have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NFL this season. Whether that is due to luck and a weak schedule, or whether Gannon really has his team climbing into the upper levels of the NFC is hard to say. We’ll know a lot more by the time Seattle concludes their brief mini-series in early December. If you’re looking for trends, you can take encouragement from the fact that the Hawks have come out on top the last five times these teams have met up.
Of course, as we just saw in San Francisco, streaks like that always come to an end. Seahawks fans know a lot about a divisional rival like the Cardinals already, but let’s take a quick snapshot of the 2024 incarnation of the division-leading Arizona Cardinals.
Cardinals last season
2023 wasn’t exactly a season most Cardinal fans want to recall. They had a new coach – a young defensive wizard who had never been a head coach at any level of football. Sound familiar? Their star quarterback Kyler Murray, who had signed a 230-million-dollar extension the previous year, missed the first nine games while recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2022 season. They struggled mightily early on, and their record stood at 1-8 before Murray’s return.
That return didn’t exactly set the desert on fire, but fans could at least take some solace. With Murray back under center, Arizona managed a 3-5 record in the second half of the season. Most importantly, they went on the road twice in December and beat playoff teams in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Gannon appeared to weather the early storm and had his team at least playing at a respectable level by the end.
Cardinals offseason
The Cardinals entered the off-season with a lot of draft picks, a lot of potential cash on hand, and a lot of holes to fill. GM Monti Ossenfort went to work. The Cardinals rebuilt much of their offensive and defensive fronts via free agency and selected a dozen players in the 2024 draft. Eight of those draft picks came in the first three rounds.
From free agency, former Seahawk center Evan Brown and Bengal tackle Jonah Williams were penciled in on the offensive line. The Hawks re-signed one defensive lineman and added three new ones to form a rotating defensive front. Ossenfort opted for volume and bargains. He did not blow money on any big names or tie up players with long-term deals.
One of the few multi-year contracts he handed out was to another former Seahawk, Deejay Dallas, brought in to be a kick returner and change-of-pace running back. He also inked cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to a three-year deal. After losing Antonio Hamilton, Gannon wanted another veteran presence to help mentor a group of talented young cornerbacks.
In the draft, the Cardinals were very excited about their two first-round picks, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. and defensive end Darius Robinson. With five other picks within the top 100, the Cardinals were able to add young talent across the entire roster.
Cardinals this season
So how has it worked out? At this point last season, Arizona sat at 2-8, deep in the cellar of the NFC West. This year, they are 6-4 and lead the division. They are coming off their bye week riding a four-game winning streak, including quality victories over the Chargers and the Dolphins (with Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup.) Gannon appears to be working miracles despite dealing with injuries on the offensive line and operating a defense that has very few star players.
On offense, Arizona is going to run the ball. James Conner has been a reliable workhorse as the lead runner, while rookie Trey Benson spells him on occasion. Emari Demercado has proven to be a big play threat, averaging ten yards per carry. And of course, QB Kyler Murray is always a threat to run. His 50-yard read option TD run against San Francisco in Week 5 helped set the tone for both the game, which the Cardinals won, and the entire season.
When he throws, Murray has two elite weapons at his disposal. The rookie Harrison has been inconsistent but is capable of making big plays any time he has the ball in his hands. And in his third year, tight end Trey McBride has proven to be one of the league’s best. Arizona no longer has speedy but unreliable wideouts, Marquis Brown and Rondale Moore. They now have a bigger Z option in Michael Wilson, and the ultra-quick Greg Dortch running out of the slot.
The offensive line has held up very well despite losing free agent signee Williams and starting guard Will Hernandez. Hernandez, who was hurt in that San Francisco game, is out for the year, but Williams may be able to return soon. He would most likely slot in at right tackle. Second-year player Paris Johnson, Jr. has locked down the left side after playing on the right during his rookie season. Trystan Colon has filled in nicely for Hernandez, joining Evan Brown and center Hjalte Froholdt to form an underrated offensive front.
On defense, Gannon and the defensive coordinator he brought with him from Philadelphia, Nick Rallis, have worked wonders with a very unheralded group. They have had several games in which that defense has been overwhelmed, and when they take on an elite offense, they can be exposed. But for the most part, the Cardinals have put in workmanlike performances that have kept them in games, and have allowed Murray, Conner, and the rest of the offense to prevail.
Arizona does not blitz a lot, but they can generate decent pressure with their rotating collection of front seven players. Defensive tackle Dante Stills leads the team with just 3.5 sacks, but six other players have at least two sacks on the year. The Cardinals are eagerly anticipating the long-delayed debut of rookie Dairius Robinson who has been out with a calf injury all year.
Like Jonah Williams on the offensive line, he is due back soon and should provide a major boost. The Cardinals also traded for Denver’s Baron Browning during their bye week. They hope that Robinson and Browning will elevate their average pass rush.
The Cardinals' defense is largely predicated on their back end. They do boast one elite defender in Budda Baker. He has been among the best safeties in the league for many years now, and at 28, he shows no signs of slowing down. Baker can attack running plays but is also solid in coverage. He has been presiding over a very young and very talented secondary. Second-year corner Garrett Williams and rookie Max Melton are both stars in the making.
The Cardinals will not dominate on defense, nor will they make a lot of errors. Seattle should be able to move the ball, but if they get sloppy, Arizona will pounce on mistakes.
Kicker Chad Ryland, who flamed out after being a 4th-round draft pick by New England in 2023, has taken over for the injured Matt Prater and performed very well. Blake Gillikin has been a reliable punter, and Greg Dortch has been the same as the Cardinals punt returner. Deejay Dallas returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Buffalo on opening day which gave Arizona a shot at stealing an upset. They didn’t pull that game out, but it showed that the 2024 Cardinals could play with anyone.
And now, for your bizarre factoid of the day, do you remember who was playing QB for Arizona the last time they defeated Seattle? Hint: he is currently starring in TV commercials for Progressive Insurance, along with another iconic backup QB, Josh Dobbs. That's right. It was Colt McCoy.
