The Arizona Cardinals came into Seattle flying high after their primetime victory over the Dallas Cowboys. However, the Cardinals came back down to earth in Week 10. The Seattle Seahawks dominated the Arizona Cardinals in all three phases, earning a 44-22 win. “Obviously, not our brand of ball today. We got beat pretty damn good, and that falls on me,” Jonathan Gannon said postgame. “Obviously, I didn’t have a good enough plan in all three phases.”
Heading into this week, the Seattle Seahawks were the only team in the NFL with both a top-five scoring offense and defense. They passed the eye test in Week 10, improving their record to 7-2 on the season. The Seattle Seahawks are legit Super Bowl contenders.
Battle in the Trenches
Since making the change at quarterback, the Arizona Cardinals have improved their offensive points per game and total yards per game. However, one thing that has remained consistent all season has been their leaky pass protection. According to Next Gen Stats, the Arizona Cardinals have allowed 29 sacks through eight games, which ranks fifth-worst in the NFL. Over their last two games, they have allowed 11 sacks and 40 quarterback pressures.
Things did not get better on Sunday. Against Seattle, the Arizona Cardinals allowed 23 quarterback pressures and five sacks. Two of those sacks led to touchdowns for Seattle’s defense. Linebacker Tyrice Knight was responsible for both strip-sack fumbles, and veteran DeMarcus Lawrence scooped and scored on both of them.
The Seattle Seahawks, under head coach Mike Macdonald, do a fantastic job of pressuring the quarterback, which is evident by their 40.1% pressure rate. They are excellent at disguising pressure, and like many other teams this season, the Arizona Cardinals had a difficult time identifying free rushers in passing situations.
McBride Makes History
There aren’t many tight ends in the world as talented as Trey McBride. In week 10, he hauled in nine receptions for 127 yards and one score. McBride was a mismatch for the Seahawks’ secondary all afternoon.
McBride became the first tight end in NFL history to record five-plus receptions in each of the team’s first nine games. Dating back to last season, Trey McBride has now recorded 11 consecutive games with five-plus receptions, which ties Travis Kelce (11 in 2020-21) for the third-longest such streak by a tight end in NFL history. Per Next Gen Stats, McBride trails only Kelce (15 in 2018) and Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (13, 2008-09) on the all-time list.
–Follow Dan Loya on X @DLoya_NFL
