Seahawks game day from Arizona: 3 keys, players to watch--and the pick
SEAHAWKS GAMEDAY
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1-2) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-3)
Sunday, 1:05 p.m., State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Line: Seahawks by 3.
TV: Ch. 13 Radio: 710-AM, 97.3-FM
The series: The Cardinals lead the series between NFC West rivals 19-18-1. But Seattle has not lost in its last five games against Arizona in the desert. The Cardinals’ last home win over the Seahawks: Sept. 9, 2012, 20-16. Russell Wilson ended his first NFL start in his initial game with an incomplete pass from the Arizona 4-yard line to Braylon Edwards with 18 seconds left.
SEATTLE’S KEYS TO VICTORY
Rattle the rookie: The Cardinals are starting rookie first-round draft choice Josh Rosen at quarterback for the first time. He entered for Sam Bradford last week after Bradford turned the ball over three times against Chicago, with 4 minutes to go and needing a field goal to win. The Bears came after Rosen, who threw an interception to end his first drive then got sacked to end the game. He was 4 for 7 passing with a meager passer rating of 31.5, but it was a thankless task for him. Expect Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. to blitz linebackers Bobby Wagner and Mychal Kendricks more and move his defenders around in an attempt to confuse and pressure the the rookie.
Contain David Johnson: Arizona’s star rusher is back after a season-ending injury in 2017. The obvious move for the Cardinals in this one is to rely more on Johnson’s running than it has so far this season, to take the onus off Rosen. Johnson has just 116 total yards rushing and one touchdown through three games. And he has averaged only 58 yards on the ground per game in four career games against Seattle. The Seahawks are only 30th in the 32-team NFL in rush defense so far this season. They have to improve on that here..
Re-do the run: The Seahawks finally ran the ball as they’d promised for nine months last week against Dallas. And it worked. Not for yards—just 2.9 yards per rush. For control of the defense’s pass rush and thus the game. Arizona has been the best NFL team at sacking and pressuring Wilson over the last half-dozen years. More of Chris Carson, banged up after 32 carries last week but ready to start again, and more of rookie first-round pick Rashaad Penny on the ground Sunday will lead to more chance for Wilson to complete big throws deep down field. Especially now that his favorite target Doug Baldwin in playing for the first time in three weeks after a sprained knee.
The pick: Seahawks, 17-13. These teams seems to always slog their way through games in the desert—remember the 6-6 overtime tie in Glendale a couple seasons ago? Seattle’s changed defense pressures Rosen. Wilson is the better quarterback in the fourth quarter to win another close one, and gets the Seahawks to 2-2 before the undefeated Rams come to town next week.
PRIME NUMBERS
SEATTLE
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year
89 Doug Baldwin 5-10, 192, eighth
Back after a sprain knee kept him out for two games, his first missed time in six years. Watch what a difference he makes on third down.
56 Mychal Kendricks LB 5-11, 240, seventh
Still on borrowed time, awaiting the NFL’s decision on his appeal of a suspension for insider trading. He truly has nothing to lose in playing wildly.
32 Chris Carson RB 5-11, 222, second
Has been flashing for parts of two seasons, including his career day last week. But can he sustain it in consecutive games?
ARIZONA
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year
3 Josh Rosen QB 6-4, 226, rookie
All eyes, including those of Seattle’s anxious pass rushers, are on the rookie first-round pick in his first start
31 David Johnson RB 6-1, 224, fourth
Hasn’t done much yet this season, and really not since 2016 after a season-ending injury last year. Time to help his rookie QB.
11 Larry Fitzgerald WR 6-3, 218, 15th
Questionable to play because of a hamstring injury that kept him out of practices this week. Something says the Cards’ legend will be there to help his kid QB
gregg.bell@thenewstribune.com; @gbellseattle