Thursday night games are not a singular challenge for NFL teams.
“We’re not the only team that’s playing Thursday night,’’ Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams said this week. “They (the Arizona Cardinal) have to do the same thing.”
In other words, there are no excuses coming from the Seahawks about facing a quick turnaround as they head to Glendale, Ariz., for a 5:15 p.m. game Thursday.
“We want to be the team that prepares better, takes care of our body better, gets better sleep, and all those small things that are going to add up to us feeling better on Thursday,” Williams said.
The Seahawks have proved adept preparing for Thursday games with an record of 11-6, including 1-1 last season in the first year under head coach Mike Macdonald.
In the first of four prime-time games the Seahawks will play this season, they are looking to win their third in a row, coming off a 44-13 demolition of the Saints on Sunday at Lumen Field that opened the eyes of many around the NFL about what they may be able to achieve this season. They are also looking to extend their franchise-record seven-game road winning streak.
The game marks the debut of Arizona’s new “Built to Last” rivalry uniforms that each team in the NFC West will wear for a division game this season. The Seahawks will wear a traditional navy and gray look.
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup:
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
When, where: 5:15 p.m., Thursday, State Farm Stadium.
TV: Amazon Prime. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Kaylee Hartung (sidelines). The game is broadcast locally on FOX, Ch. 13.
Most recent game in series: Continuing a recent domination of the series, the Seahawks swept Arizona last season, beating the Cardinals 16-6 in Seattle on Nov. 24 and repeating the feat with a 30-18 win in Arizona on Dec. 8. The Seahawks have won the last seven in the series and is 10-1-1 at State Farm Stadium since 2013, the lone loss coming in overtime 2020, and leads the all-time series 29-22-1.
Point spread: Seahawks by 1.5. (via VegasInsider).
Key injuries: The Seahawks will be without starting fullback Robbie Ouzts and backup O-lineman Josh Jones, who on gamedays was the backup at tackle and guard spots. Safety Nick Emmanwori is also doubtful. Safety Julian Love and cornerback Devon Witherspoon will be back.
Arizona will be without starting running back James Conner who suffered a season-ending foot injury against the 49ers on Sunday. He will be replaced primarily by Trey Benson, a third-round pick a year ago out of Florida State, who has 125 yards on 21 carries this season.
Last week’s games: The Seahawks beat the Saints 44-13 to improve to 2-1, while the Cardinals lost at San Francisco on a last-second field goal, 16-15.
The big story: This is a matchup of 2-1 teams that are each trying to keep pace in the NFC West with the 49ers, who have already narrowly beaten both. The Seahawks are also hoping to build off the confidence of big wins the last two weeks at Pittsburgh and against the Saints by a combined 45 points.
Key matchup:
Seahawks defense vs. Kyler Murray
With Conner out, the Cardinals may have to rely even more on the playmaking ability of Murray, the first overall pick of the 2019 draft. Murray is off to a sluggish start, averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt, almost a yard off his career average of 7.0 and he’s been sacked seven times.
He has a history of struggles against the Seahawks, going just 2-8 in his career while getting sacked 32 times for 249 yards.
The Seahawks defense is off to a good start, overcoming some injuries in the secondary thanks to a dominant front seven that has played so well the Seahawks hare rarely needed to blitz but still have one of the best pressure rates in the NFL.
Getting Love and Witherspoon back should make the defense that much stronger.
The Seahawks can become only the second team in franchise history to hold an opponent to 17 or fewer points in each of the first four games of the season.
The other? The 1998 team that began 3-0 before finishing 8-8.
Key player: Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
So much for the worry that without DK Metcalf around the Seahawks’ opponents will be able to focus their attention on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and limit his production.
JSN is off to the best start of his three-year career, getting 37.3% of the Seahawks’ targets (second in the NFL behind only Baltimore’s Zay Flowers) and is second in receiving yards at 323 behind only Puka Nacua of the Rams with 333.
The Cardinals have been banged-up in the secondary and have allowed the fourth-most passing yards (792). The Sam Darnold-to-Smith-Njigba connection could be cooking Thursday.
Key stat: Trey McBride’s receiving yards.
The Seahawks’ biggest defensive challenge figures to be containing Cardinals fourth-year tight end Trey McBride. McBride gets 27% of the targets from Murray, the highest percentage of any tight end in the NFL, and has turned those into 17 receptions for 182 yards in three games.
McBride had two big games against the Seahawks last year, getting 12 receptions for 133 yards in the first contest and seven for 70 in the second.
The Seahawks have been vulnerable to tight ends so far, allowing 24 receptions for 180 yards and three touchdowns. The receptions and touchdowns are tied for the most in the NFL.
That’ll put the onus on the safeties and weakside linebackers Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas to keep McBride in check.
Three other things to watch
How receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. bounces back for the Cardinals.
Harrison, the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft, had two big drops last week continuing what has been a slower-than-expected start to his career. He has just 10 receptions for 142 yards this season and just five for 71 the last two weeks combined. Harrison apologized for the drops after the 16-15 loss to the 49ers saying “I need to get better.” But one Arizona columnist this week called for his benching and the eyes of Cardinals’ fans will be squarely on him Thursday.
Can the Seahawks get their running game going?
The Seahawks rank fifth in points per game at 29.3 despite rushing for just 96 yards per game and 3.3 per attempt, the latter number 29th in the NFL. Arizona has been a stingy team to run against, allowing 3.8 per carry, 10th in the NFL. Expect the Seahawks to stick with the run even if it isn’t yielding big results early.
“There’s room for improvement just like many facets of our offense,” offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said this week. “We can coach better there, we can play better there and it’s something that our guys are putting a big emphasis on.”
Can the Seahawks D-line keep up its dominance?
The Seahawks’ interior defensive front of Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy II continues to show it could be one of the best in the NFL. The Seahawks are allowing just 3.3 yards per rushing attempt, third best in the NFL, and are the only team in the league not to allow a rushing touchdown.
Prediction
Seahawks 23, Cardinals 13.
Each team is 2-1. But Arizona’s resume seems a bit flimsier than the Seahawks, and the loss of Conner is a big one. The Seahawks have usually felt at home in Glendale (well, except for that one time they weren’t playing the Cardinals) and should ride their defense to yet another win in the desert.