Seattle Seahawks opponent preview: Arizona part 2
The Seattle Seahawks face off against Arizona for their first division rematch of 2022. They travel to the desert in search of another victory and stay atop the NFC West division. On the other side, Arizona will be looking for some revenge.
The Seattle Seahawks travel to Arizona in a “Battle of the Birds” rematch. This time the game is in Arizona.
Seattle is 2-2 on the road compared to 3-1 at home. Not a big surprise there, as Lumen Field does offer the Seahawks one of the best home-field advantages.
Currently, Seattle leads the NFC West Division and is the number three playoff seed. Conversely, Arizona is on the outside looking in. They need a big turnaround and some help to reach the postseason.
The last time these two teams met was a low-scoring affair, with the Seahawks pulling out a 19-9 win. Let’s look at the rematch.
A building block game for the Seahawks defense
The Seattle Seahawks own the NFL’s fourth highest-scoring offense, behind only Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Kansas City. Subsequently, Arizona is ranked 11th. The only teams the Seahawks have played that are better are New Orleans and Atlanta.
In theory, Seattle’s defense should have a good game. Especially since they are coming off their best performance of 2022 last week against the New York Giants.
However, this Seattle Seahawks defense is young and inexperienced, so it’s very possible that they lay an egg or don’t have a repeat performance. There are two key factors that fans need to keep in mind.
First, Arizona has wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins back. In the two games since his return, the Cards averaged 34 points per game which is an improvement over the 19 they averaged without him. Hopkins and quarterback Kyler Murray have good chemistry together.
Defending him will be a great challenge for the Seattle Seahawks’ young cornerbacks, Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant.
Arizona scores slightly more points at home (23) than on the road (22.5). Ironically, the Cardinals are 1-3 at home compared to 2-2 away from Arizona. If the Seattle Seahawks can score their average of 26 points, then they should get another win.
The Seattle Seahawks offense keeps on rolling, rolling, rolling
As previously mentioned, the Seattle Seahawks are the second-highest-scoring team in the NFL. Who would have thought that was a possibility before the season got underway?
This season has been a fun ride so far. The NFL says for every rookie a team starts; they can count as a loss. Well, if that’s true, the Seattle Seahawks are due for just one more loss due to their rookies.
The play from Seattle’s 2022 rookie class, as a group, has been nothing short of incredible. It is a testament to the scouting department for finding the best NFL-ready talent and GM John Schneider for making the correct calls on draft day.
Let’s also give some kudos to the Hawks’ coaching staff, who helped get them ready to go.
Geno Smith is running this offense the way it’s always been designed. Get the ball out quickly and spread out.
There are still opportunities available for Smith to take deep shots. However, the deep shots are not what they solely rely on. Kenneth Walker III has stepped in and filled the role of the bell-cow running back perfectly.
This week’s game will be a tough-fought one, as are almost all division games. Seattle Seahawks fans should expect a little bit more offensive in Sunday’s game compared to the previous meeting.
From here, the Seahawks travel to Munich, Germany, to face Tampa Bay on November 13.