It wasn’t easy, and it’s almost never easy against the Arizona Cardinals, but it was still a win for the Seattle Seahawks. Even the best Seahawks teams had to grind out 19-3, 17-7, 20-6, 14-9 type of games regardless of quality of their NFC West opponent, so 16-6 is just another chapter in the book. This was another virtual must-win and the Seahawks won it in a way that is hugely encouraging on one side of the ball.

For the final time this month, let’s get to Winners and Losers!

Winners

Leonard Williams

That was one of the best games I’ve seen from a Seahawks defensive lineman in a long time. He had 2.5 sacks, several other pressures of Kyler Murray, and a phenomenal performance against the run. James Conner only had 8 yards on 7 carries!

“Big Cat” was feasting all afternoon, and that’s exactly why the Seahawks traded for and extended him.

He ought to be Defensive Player of the Week based on what he did against a quality offensive line and talented quarterback who’s notoriously hard to bring down.

Julian Love

I believe without Williams, the other former New York Giant would’ve been the player of the game. He continues to have a Pro Bowl caliber season, recording a couple of passes defensed and two tackles short of the sticks. He was outstanding in pass coverage all game. When Love isn’t making a lot of tackles down the field? That’s a good thing. He did his damn job and he’s been doing it well virtually all year.

Coby Bryant

Happy birthday to Coby’s mom! Your son’s birthday gift was the pick-6 that changed the game and perhaps the season. Sometimes a fourth down interception is a negative due to the field position flip, but he saw space in front and found his first NFL touchdown. Bryant has seemingly retained his spot as a starting safety, with the returning Rayshawn Jenkins coming in as the “big nickel” third safety.

Here’s to Bryant continuing to carve out an important role in this improved defense.

Devon Witherspoon

That Coby interception doesn’t happen without Witherspoon. He saw the Kyler Murray run on 4th and 1, had the speed to run with him, and Murray panicked into a very poor decision that just about cost them the game. Back-to-back weeks in which Spoon makes a turnover happen without getting credited for the turnover. All that’s left is for him to actually get his own turnover, and I think that’s coming soon.

Tyrice Knight

I’m not sure Knight actually had a very good game and he certainly was part of the reason why Trey McBride had a career day, but he recorded his first NFL sack and was really close to his own fumble return touchdown, only for the referees to overturn a Leonard Williams strip-sack. At the moment, I’m looking for Knight to show promise and not be a clear downgrade from Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker, and that’s what I’ve seen over the last two weeks.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dare I say he’s WR1? Nah, I won’t go that far yet. But the Seahawks have a WR1A and WR1B with JSN and DK Metcalf. Smith-Njigba led the Seahawks with 6 catches for 77 yards and the only offensive touchdown of the game, and he had the most pivotal offensive play (outside of the TD) with his 46-yard scamper on that screen pass Ryan Grubb loves to call so much.

JSN has a legit shot at a 100-catch, 1,000-yard season in Year 2.

Kenneth Walker III

Walker had almost nothing to work with on the ground (16 carries for 41 yards), but he pitched in as a checkdown option and gained 52 yards on 4 receptions, including a nifty hurdle on his 21-yard gain. Can we see Walker run some actual routes at some point? I feel like he’s a great wheel route option, similar to what we saw against the Atlanta Falcons.

Jason Myers

Yes, there was a missed PAT but that was off of a longer kick due to Devon Witherspoon’s penalty. His field goal to end the game was super clutch. We’re talking about a 50-yard field goal in driving rain, and he smacked that ball right down the middle. Myers has been very good on field goals since the ill-fated end to the Giants game, which was hardly his fault.

Michael Dickson

We saw too much of Dickson punting, but if he’s going to punt, he needs to pin Arizona deep. Three of his punts pinned the Cardinals inside the 20, and he had a brilliant boot to the 3-yard line ruined by a Pharaoh Brown unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Mike Macdonald

I know a mad scientist at work when I see one. This three-game stretch of defensive performances, all vs. division rivals, has been overwhelmingly positive. They’re covering well, they’re generating pressure, and the run defense has been superb. Arizona’s rushing attack has been lethal in recent weeks and the Cards didn’t manage a single rushing first down. Kyler Murray was a non-factor as a runner.

Seeing improvement from this defense given the downfall of the defense in the waning Pete Carroll was of paramount importance, and after a strong start, then a very rocky ensuing several weeks, we’re seeing top-notch showings against better offenses and better quarterbacks.

And independent on the defense, the penalties have been significantly cut down over the last two games. There’s some greater discipline being shown compared to what we’ve seen through much of the year.

Losers

The offensive line’s continued run blocking woes

I actually thought the pass protection wasn’t as terrible as it could’ve been, but keep in mind the Cardinals don’t have a dominant defensive line. The simulated pressures and coverage change-ups I believe outfoxed the offensive line and, at times, Geno Smith. I’d pin a couple of those sacks on coverage and not bad blocking.

The run blocking is just dismal. There were some genuine good runs and the Seahawks still had just 63 yards on 22 carries from Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Way too often there were free rushers coming right at the backs and giving them no chance to do much of anything.

Seattle is 32nd in rush offense EPA/play since Week 5. It’s going to stay that way after another largely ineffective performance.

Geno Smith’s weekly “WTF?” moments

If not for the interception, I’d argue Geno Smith played alright given the familiar lack of a run game and the apparent difficulty of Seahawks receivers getting open. But man, this has got to stop. I can forgive the interceptions where he’s been victimized on drops and tipped passes, but this is back to back weeks of atrocious throws that could’ve been absolute killers. The 49ers INT needed to be a throwaway, whereas the Cards INT needed to be a scramble and slide or a throwaway.

Smith is destined to lead the NFL in picks for the remainder of this season barring a push from Jordan Love (who’s very prone to bad picks). Bad luck picks are bad luck picks, but high-leverage bad decisions when the Seahawks rarely win by blowout cannot keep happening.

I do credit him for bouncing back from the INT with that game-ending drive, in which he went 5/6 for 40 yards and converted two big third downs.

Kenny McIntosh

Injury to Laviska Shaneault Jr has resulted in a couple of kick returns for Kenny Mac. They’ve gone very badly. His first return last week was bobbled on a hop and returned to the 15-yard line. Against Arizona, he bizarrely took a kick from the front of the end zone and sauntered out to the 18. Why? Kneeling gets the ball at the 30.

Seattle’s special teams has quietly made major improvements but the return game remains not great.

Zach Charbonnet

I think when he has space he can be a capable back. Until then, he needs to have his snaps reduced. The one big thing in his favor is pass pro and he gave up another sack by failing to chip an edge rusher. He continues to barely be a factor in the run game (6 carries for 22 yards, albeit with a couple of better rushes in the 2nd half) and he had no catches.

Charbonnet has statistically been one of the worst RBs in the NFL in terms of yards per carry, success rate, etc. Can’t have that AND miscues in pass protection.

Final Notes

• We’re witnessing the sunsetting of Tyler Lockett. He’s clearly the third option on the team and the passing game runs through JSN and DK. That’s fine! This is why JSN was drafted. There may still be some vintage Lockett games and catches to come—he’s still vintage at drawing DPI penalties—but he’s not the same guy from his 2018-2022 seasons. Enjoy him while you can, because he’ll be in the Ring of Honor.
• Ryan Grubb has to, HAS TO, start moving the pocket more often. More quick game, more rollouts, more stuff to keep the offense on schedule instead of gameplanning a pass offense of what he wants vs. what the offense is capable of pulling off. The offense was not very good today and I don’t know if it will get fixed this season.
• Christian Haynes looked like he played well from what I saw, but I’ll have to go to the All-22. He’ll be needed with Anthony Bradford down with an ankle injury. I’m also glad that Abe Lucas came away unscathed after a full workload for the first time this year.
• Byron Murphy II didn’t have a big day, but that 4th and 1 pick-6 was made possible by his run stuff on James Conner on 3rd and 3.
• Pharaoh Brown stiff-armed Sean Murphy-Bunting into the Earth’s core. That in itself is probably the only reason I didn’t put him in the Losers column after a drive-killing hold and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a punt.
• I know the New York Jets are a clown show primed for tee times and Cancun vacations, but they still have enough talent to make this a tough game. Don’t take this game lightly like you did against the other bad New York team, and you should be poised to go 7-5… perhaps with a full one-game lead in the NFC West.