Seahawks establish pattern of dominance in wins over Saints, Cardinals
How the Seahawks got to 3-1, but nearly fumbled their lead in Arizona
What if you made a whole game against the Saints out of BeastQuakes? That’s what Seahawks fans got a glimpse of in Week 3 last season, as Seattle jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, 38-6 at halftime, and won 44-13.
Although it doesn’t get the same rep as a performance, what the Seahawks did to New Orleans last year was just as impressive as how they finished the 2012 season with 58-0, 50-17, and 42-13 wins in December. The only reason the margin wasn’t even larger than 29 points?
They held back. Seattle had the juice to beat the Saints by 70 points, if that was the goal.
A week later, the Seahawks were en route to another blowout and this time against the Cardinals, a team used to being on the wrong end of a lopsided score. But self-inflicted wounds by Seattle, and a few questionable calls by refs, helped keep the score close enough for Arizona to tie the game near the end of regulation.
The Seahawks narrowly survived 23-20, but still proved that when they’re on their game, they are extremely difficult to beat.
Seattle would continue to play in this “If only…” manner for a few more games, but they had still established through four weeks that they were among the best teams in NFL, outscoring opponents 111-67 and forcing six turnovers. (The Jets had four takeaways ALL SEASON LONG.)
2025 season recaps so far:
Week 1 - 49ers
Week 2 - Steelers
Week 16 - Rams
NFC Championship - Rams
Looking back helps us see what’s ahead more clearly. The 2025 season recap series is not only fun because the Seahawks ended up winning the Super Bowl, it is also a necessary reminder for someone like me (who doesn’t have a great memory) to gain perspective on what aspects of last season are overrated and underrated.
We continue with a double-dip today: Saints and Cardinals. I re-watched both games. Here’s what I noticed.
Week 3 - Seahawks 44, Saints 13 (condensed version)
Tory Horton and Dareke Young are great returners
I touched on this return on Wednesday when mentioning Chazz Surratt’s perfect block, but there’s also the matter of Horton’s speed and athleticism:
Horton ends up returning 16 punts for 238 yards in 2025, an average of 14.9 per return. This 95-yarder was the longest by any player last season.
The sheer number of great special teams plays that the Seahawks had overshadowed Dareke Young’s standout performances as a kickoff returner. He had a personal best 60-yard return in this game, and his 32.2 average on 10 returns last season would have ranked first in the league, had it qualified.
Young’s muffed punt recovery in the NFC Championship game was a bigger moment, but he’s consistently been a positive presence on special teams and will be missed. He reportedly made some good plays as a receiver in Raiders OTAs this summer.
Were that not enough, D’Anthony Bell blocked a punt. Surratt got a little too excited and couldn’t handle the loose ball, otherwise it would have been an easy touchdown. At least it worked out for Kenneth Walker, who was able to score a touchdown two plays later.
Most teams would find these players and say, “Well, we can’t possibly do better than this". But the Seahawks traded for Rashid Shaheed, extended him, let Young walk, and will have an interesting competition for the returner jobs.
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