The Seahawks are 1-0, baby, and flying high, but hold up: our next opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, just pulled off a shocking 26-14 upset against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, making everyone scratch their heads about what exactly just happened in the desert.
The Cardinals’ D Just Stunned the League and Everyone is Paying Attention
Seriously, the Cardinals defense came out of nowhere! Nobody, and I mean *nobody*, thought they’d beat a Jim Harbaugh Chargers team that was 11-6 last year and heading to the playoffs, even without their starting offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back on the field. But Arizona’s D had other plans. Mike LaFleur, their first non-interim head coach to win his debut, clearly had this unit ready to roll. They played with an energy that flat-out stifled Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel’s new offense. The Chargers only ran 51 plays and had the ball for a measly 22:29! Arizona ran 21 more plays and hogged the ball for a whopping 15:02 more of the game. That’s more than a whole quarter, people! Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro credits for setting the tone, clearly has these guys playing with a chip on their shoulder. They’re ranked second to last in blitz rate, yet they shut down the Chargers to a brutal 2-for-8 on third downs and a big fat 0-for-3 on fourth downs. Their front seven was a beast, racking up 17 pressures on just 55 snaps compared to LA’s measly 12 pressures on 75 opportunities. That’s some serious intensity right there, and our Hawks gotta be ready for it.
Our Front Seven Has a Massive Opportunity Against Arizona’s Weapons
While their defense was flexing, Arizona’s offense looked way more talented than expected, playing complementary football to seal the win. They’ve got Trey McBride, arguably the best tight end in football, and a pair of running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier who can both carve up a defense. And don’t forget Marvin Harrison Jr., who gave Devon Witherspoon a serious run for his money last season. Jacoby Brissett, their QB, looked like a perfectly average starter, completing 27 of 37 passes for 73.0% and taking only one sack on 39 dropbacks, making life easy for their offensive line. But here’s the thing: Arizona’s offensive line has been pegged as their biggest weakness this season. This is where our Hawks, specifically our front seven, need to absolutely dominate! Our boys are coming off a tough game against the Patriots’ blocking scheme, which probably spent the whole offseason prepping for them. This Week 2 matchup is a chance for guys like AJ Barner and Uchenna Nwosu to step up, establish our physical presence, and kill any momentum the Cardinals think they have. We gotta own the line of scrimmage, 12s, and make a statement.
We are heading to Lumen Field next for a divisional battle, and this game is crucial for setting the tone for our season. Can our front seven put the team on their shoulders and squash this Cardinals’ momentum? I’m hyped to see it! Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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