Seahawks who needed to step up vs Cardinals and then stepped up

10/17/2022: A defensive win in the Pete Carroll fashion

The Seahawks needed not only a win, but a defensive win for once and that’s what they got in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. For the first time this season, Seattle’s defense had a positive EPA (+14.01 Estimated Points Added) and that’s even more notable because the Seahawks forced two turnovers, which they’ve already done four times before.

Seattle has exactly two turnovers in five of their six games in 2022, but the Cards game is a season-low in net passing yards allowed (aided by six sacks, which nearly doubled the season total), the second-lowest rushing yardage total allowed, and the first time that the Seahawks have held an offense out of the end zone.

It’s hard to imagine what Cardinals fans are going through by being forced to watch an offense that is first in passing attempts and 32nd in net yards per pass attempt. But then again if you’re willfully still a Cardinals fan after all these decades, I suppose there is little you can’t withstand footballwise.

This may have been somewhat of a reprieve for a Seahawks defense that badly needed it and yet shouldn’t Kyler Murray be more threatening than Jared Goff, Andy Dalton, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Marcus Mariota? That was the bill of goods sold on the contract, with or without DeAndre Hopkins. Without even getting an “MVP performance” from Geno Smith and his two MVweapons, the Seattle Seahawks had their first win of the season by more than three points.

That couldn’t have happened without a number of key players having better games than expected of them, whether they had high expectations or low expectations going into the week.

The Seahawks are now 3-3 and technically as close to a winning season as the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Through six weeks, the Seahawks also have the same record as the Ravens, Bengals, Bucs, Packers, Dolphins, and Patriots. A win over the L.A. Chargers in Week 7 would start a whole new conversation about Seattle’s goals for this season and perhaps even needs before the NFL trade deadline at the end of October.

These players stepped up in Week 6 against the Cardinals and the Seahawks will need them to show up again for the Chargers game in six days.