SEASON DEFINING: Arizona Cardinals Will Define Their Season in Week 10 Against Seattle Seahawks

SEASON DEFINING: Arizona Cardinals Will Define Their Season in Week 10 Against Seattle Seahawks

Are the Seahawks going to be feeling the need for Shahed in a rematch against the Cardinals? Can Jacobe Brassette revive the Arizona Cardinals season? We’re going to find out here on round two of Crossover Thursday. Locked on Seahawks, locked on Cardinals. [Music] You are locked on NFL Crossover, part of the Locked On podcast network. your team every day. Greetings twelves and Cardinals fans. It’s time for round two crossover Thursday. Locked on Seahawks. Locked on Cardinals. I’m Corbin Smith, host of the Locked On Seahawks podcast. He’s Alex Clancy, host of Locked on Cardinals. It’s crazy to think that it’s been almost two months since the last time that we got together. That game doesn’t seem like it was that long ago. Thursday night, week four in Glendale rematch coming up at Lumen Field and we’re going to be diving into everything you need to know heading into this key matchup. The Cardinals trying to climb back into at least the wildcard discussion. Seattle’s trying to hunt for that number one seed as long along with the top dog number in the NFC West. So, plenty at stake for both teams. We’ll be breaking down the matchups. Keys to victory, new quarterback in Arizona, new speedy target for Sam Darnell. We got tons of fun stuff to discuss and it’s all brought to you courtesy of our friends over at Price Picks. Download the Price Picks app today and use the code locked in NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Alex, man, every time we get together, it’s an absolute blast when we have locked on Seahawks, locked on Cardinals, and it feels like a lot of times we have very similar discussion points. I feel like the last three or four shows we’ve had like, is Kyler Murray reaching the end of the line? It feels like that’s been a very consistent discussion point. So, I’m going to ask you, have we reached the end of that line? Kyler Murray going on injured reserve yesterday. He’s out for four more games minimum. Jacobe Brousette has been dramatically better both on film and statistically in the three starts that he’s had. I I test he just looks like he’s managing that offense and their guys are getting the football and just seems like they are playing much better football on offense. the entire team’s responded to it and Kyler Murray’s got that massive contract like have we reached a Derek Carr in Vegas or Russell Wilson in Denver type situation where eventually it becomes oh I’m healthy now but go away Kyler it feels like we might kind of be there you know and it s it sucks because it’s like here’s the thing including the Seattle game where the Cardinals offense was anemic for three and two fifths of a quarter of quarters and then decided to put up 20 points I think in the fourth I know it was it’s been a while. Uh maybe it was 17 points, whatever to tie that game. Um the Cardinals could have been 5-0 with Kyler Murray. Should have been potentially maybe four-1 with the Seattle game and Tennessee the next week. Like that’s the weird sticking point where it’s like the five games they’ve lost combined 13 points, three of which were Kyler Murray quarterbacking and Jacobe Brassette. Two against two of the best teams in football with India and Green Bay. But listen, the offense, even if you’re walking past an old school TV shop that just has a bunch of TVs in the thing and all the TVs are on from the 90s and you glance with one eye at the Cardinals one time, you could see the difference between Jacobe Brassette and Kyler Murray with this offense. It’s not even close. It’s not even close. And for those that are watching on YouTube, uh Corbin put together a great graphic. 25.6 points with Jacobe Brassette, just over 20 with Kyler, two and three for Kyler, one and two for Jacobe. But six touchdowns for both of them, one interception in half as many games or, you know, three instead of five. Like here’s the thing. Jacob Brousett’s a dude, man. Like if Sam Darnold can do it and Daniel Jones can do it, why couldn’t Jacobe Brassette do it in a different or in a different situation with an offense that fits him to a tea, it seems? Yeah, that’s really interesting with all the quarterbacks that are playing well that maybe didn’t in the past and and then you look at what Gino Smith’s doing in Vegas away from Seattle and being on a team that doesn’t have the talent and doesn’t have the line and and look, I’m going to continue to be a Gino defender because I I still think if Gino Smith was quarterbacking this team that Sam Darnold’s quarterbacking, I don’t I wouldn’t be shocked if Seattle is six and two or seven and one with Gino Smith under center because I thought this offense was great for him. So, you make a very good argument when it comes to Jacobe Brassette, but like as an outsider, like I’ve I’ve watched quite a bit of these last couple games that he has played, and the thing that jumps out to me is how much more of the field opposing defenses have to defend with Jacobe Brassette. And I talked about it on our Wednesday show. We were looking at some of the key matchups and diving into some statistical oddities and things and it just like the linebackers for Seattle, regardless of who’s playing in this game, if Ernest Jones is healthy enough to play or not, it doesn’t matter. Whoever is out there on the field, this is a much different game in terms of how you’re going to be game planning because Jacobe Brassette, he is built for that West Coast style attack the middle dig routes, crossers, get those out routes. Like he’s built for that West Coast style offense. Kyler Murray can’t do that because of his height limitations. Like that’s not his game. He is an outside the numbers, you know, air it out, dump it off type guy. Jacobe Brassette is going to stand tall in that pocket and he’s going to attack the middle of the field. And with the targets the Cardinals have, those guys are getting better opportunities. So like as a as a somebody that is covering another team in the division and watching this, I’m like, Mike McDonald’s going to have to have something else cooking defensively to be prepared for that. And not that I don’t have confidence can do that because I absolutely do. But I just feel like Arizona, even though they’re one and two in those three starts, those two losses were a really good team. They had a chance to win both of them because of Jacobe Brassette. Yeah. I just feel like Arizona just looks like they are clicking much better as a football team with him. It’s the depth of targets, Corbin. It’s the depth of targets. Like Jacob Brassette’s thrown the ball 45 times on average a game. threw less in this pass game because they were winning and they salted the game away in the fourth which was bananas to think but Kyler Murray when he was throwing the ball 35 times the depths of target was five yards in on average this is hitting Marvin Harrison Jr. in the hands on a deep crossing route uh Trey McBride for the touchdown the easiest touchdown he’s ever had last week deep deep out into the end zone into the you know right in front of the the the uh the shallow pylon Marvin Harrison Jr. the timing route where he jked Deron Bland out of his shoes like he was a member of the Toy Story movie when the kids would walk in like this was un it’s unbelievably different and Corbin this is it this is the number 19 total targets for Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride you very well know that even when it was DK and Tyler Lockett it doesn’t matter if they know where the ball is going they were open for the ball more Tyler Lockett and definitely JSN now that’s what we’re starting to see with Marvin Harrison Jr. or Trey McBride, they’re always open because Joy Bruss is either able to throw throw him open or he’s able to stand in the pocket long enough to where coverage breaks down. And those were foreign objects, foreign things when Kyler Murray was here for the most part. Yeah, it really does. And everything that you’re saying is what I’m seeing watching from the outside. It just And look, body language matters, man. I I am telling you, Jacobe Brassette has always had that working for him. every team he’s been on when he was with Cleveland, guys talk about like, I want to play with that guy because he has the body language, he has the demeanor, and he has the lowest interception rate of any active quarterback that’s has the qualified number throws, 1.3%. Like now, he’s had his issues with fumbling the football when he gets hit in his career. That has been a big thing. And that’s true. I know Seattle’s defensive line in particular is thinking ah you know we don’t have to worry as much about you know the guy getting outside the jitterbug action. So it’s it’s a trade-off type thing. Uh and man I I am just I don’t know there’s more excitement about this game there has been just because like I’m going to be honest it felt like even with the way that game ended the last time it just has felt like Seattle no matter what is going to find a way to get it done because Kyler just doesn’t scare them. I feel like in this matchup, Seattle’s like they can do more with their offense than what they were doing with Kyler. It’s going to put more stress on us. Now, Seattle’s more healthier on defense. That’s certainly going to help. But I’m excited to see this because it feels like the Cardinals are playing really good football that their their coaches and their players are in sync more. The Seahawks are obviously playing outstanding football right now, too. So, this has a chance to be a different Seahawks Cardinals matchup than we’re accustomed to where a lot of times it’s kind of that messy game. I have a feeling this could actually be a game where both teams do throw some haymakers at each other and it ends up being kind of a fun matchup on Sunday afternoon. I mean, and we’re going to get into the matchups here obviously in the next segment, but like you look at both these defenses. If you told me this game was 139, be like, “Okay, if you told me this game was in the mid20s, cool.” I don’t see this being I see the Haymakers, as you mentioned, being a couple deep balls that that distinguish one a win or a loss. The one those who connect on it, those who can’t, things like that. Um, espec because you’re right, Joy Bet uses the whole field, which is which is something that, you know, Mike McDonald is gonna have to to to decipher, but like with JSN, the cornerbacks, which again we’ll talk about, like this young defense is ready to rip. And I think you saw that against Dallas where they, you know, gave up 10 points to a 30.8 points per game team. The only team that scores more points is Seattle. So, this is going to be the biggest test for them, you know, in this season of a potential turnaround. Yeah, I’m really excited to dive into the matchups because there’s a bunch of interesting ones and and this is a Cardinals team that’s got a lot of healthy players that were not active in that first matchup that I was high on in the draft process. Some really good young players. We’re going to be diving into all that coming up next year as we continue our crossover Thursday here on Locked On Network. You know the saying, look good, feel good. The problem is that most dress clothes only check one of those boxes. They look sharp but feel stiff, hot, and high maintenance. That’s why there’s Mizen and Maine. Miz and Maine makes classic men’s wear with performance fabrics so it’s effortless to look sharp and feel comfortable. They actually invented the performance fabric dress shirt over 10 years ago and they’ve perfected it ever since. 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Just pick more or less on two to six player projections and you can turn your takes into real prizes all in less than 60 seconds. I’ve been playing prize picks a ton lately. It’s so much fun. It’s a great way to stay locked in for the season. It’s quick, easy, and honestly my favorite way to follow along with football. I love checking out the projections whether it’s Sam Darnold with more or less than 270 passing yards. Or if you’re looking at Marvin Harrison Jr. for one or more or less than one receiving touchdown, download the prize picks app today and use the code lock NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s the code locked in NFL for $50 in lineups after your first $ five play. Price picks. It’s good to be right. Welcome back to Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Network. I’m Corbin Smith. Locked on Seahawks. He’s Alex Clancy. Locked on Cardinals. Round two, Seattle versus Arizona coming up on Sunday at Lumen Field. And it’s interesting. I said this in the first segment too when we’re pertaining to Kyler Murray. It seems like obviously rivals, you know, each other better than other teams, but it it does feel like there’s just been kind of a staleness. It’s like, well, Cardinals and Seahawks getting together, Kyler Murray is going to do this, try to do that. The Seahawks are going to defend him this way. Seahawks are going to attack the Cardinals defense this way. But there are a number of pieces that have changed in this game. And it isn’t just Jacobe Buret. The defense for the Cardinals, they didn’t have Will Johnson in the first matchup dealing with a knee injury. They didn’t have Walder Nolan, one of my favorite prospects in this 2025 draft class. He returned last week and Dallas figured out quickly that there was a different dude on the field that they were having to try to block. So, you’ve got those two guys. Garrett Williams is playing. I mean, this is a much different defense with a number of healthy players, including Impact rookies. And in particular for me as a as a Seahawk reporter, just looking at it from a a anal an analysis-based perspective and watching the film, Anthony Bradford in particular going up against Walter Nolan absolutely terrifies me because that has been the one spot that has been a weakness for the Seahawks still on a much improved offensive line. Grace Ael has yet to give up a sack. He’s largely been everything advertised. Jaylen Sundell maybe isn’t flashy, but he hasn’t given up a sack. He’s done some really good things out there. Anthony Bradford has still been in that weak spot, and his biggest issue is guys that are quick and can change direction, rip off blocks fast. Oh, by the way, Walder Nolan, those are all strengths for Walter Nolan. That’s his game. So, that is something they did not have to deal with last game. And you add all the other pieces they have there, Alex, that absolutely terrifies me coming into this game. Yeah, you know, it’s this is what the entire off seasonason this is what the final meal was supposed to look like. All the money, all the dra all the draft capital, all of it except for Hayden Connor who’s a sixth round uh offensive lineman out of uh out of Texas who isn’t with the team anymore. Every single pick went to the defense. All of the money outside of extending Trey McBride and James Connor went to the defense. So, when you have Garrett Williams, who’s one of the probably could be looked at as the most underrated corner in football, he was uh highly rated last year. Uh you know, he went down, he thought it was an ACL, uh the fact that he’s back is crazy. Will Johnson is the highest rated defensive player in the draft uh this year so far. Uh when you have the vets like Buddha Baker, and then you’d have Kus Campbell and Dvin Tomlinson for Walter Nolan up front. you have Josh Sweat off the edge who now can run a little bit more free because the Cardinals seem to be getting a lot more interior pressure at least through one week. Like there’s not a weakness on this defense and I don’t say that lightly. Um Mac Wilson’s played great. Uh Keem Davis Gaithers played well. Cody Simon fourth round pick out of Ohio State who was defensive MVP of the national championship game two years ago. Like this defense is legitimate. This defense can be recession proof when you have the corners that they do, the DBs that they do, and now the pressure on the interior that they do. Like, this is a real deal defense with rookies who are ready to play immediately, which is a wild concept, especially on the defensive side of the ball right away. And meanwhile, the Seahawks like look, they’ve got some rookies that are ready to play too on the offensive side of the football. And look, Arizona, as I said, Will Johnson being back, Garrett Williams being back, Kevin Max Melton out there, they’ve got the pieces in the secondary. At the same time, the Seattle Seahawks are saying like, “Hey, look, we played Derek Stingley and uhwami Lacier and a few of those guys in Houston a few weeks ago, and you know what, they couldn’t stop us anyway.” Like Seattle’s looking at that receiving core and then they’re like, “You know what? We’re going to go make it better. Let let’s go bring in Rasheed Shahed who was on pace for a thousand receiving yards in Clint Kubak’s offense in New Orleans last year before he got hurt in week six. He was averaging almost 18 yards per reception, three touchdowns of over 40 yards through the air. And now you get to tag team him with Jackson Smith and Jigba. And oh, by the way, Tory Horton has got five touchdowns as a rookie. So like this is another one. This is why I’m so excited about this matchup, this game in general, though. Like Arizona’s like, “Hey, we’re really happy about the corners that we’ve got now.” The secondary Seattle’s like, “All right, well, let’s see how good they are because we like the guys we have on the outside.” Like, god, we we call it get your popcorn ready matchups unlocked on Seahawks. This is one you get your popcorn ready and you go back and get second and thirds with extra butter because I I just think this is going to be so much fun seeing all the resources that both these teams have poured into these two sides and how prolific Seattle’s passing game has been regardless of who they play. Arizona’s feeling really good about slowing down passing offense. It’s like something’s got to give. It’s going to be so fun. So, like the DBs, they fared pretty well against CD Lamb and George Pickkins this past week. Even in a pass heavy script for Dallas down the stretch, had three turnovers, should have had five. M. Wilson dropped an interception and and there was a they forced a fumble on George Pickins. They didn’t recover. But for me, the thing that terrifies me most, while it should be JSN, it should be, it’s not. It’s Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy, the majority of it is Leonard Williams. When he does sneak out to the outside, he puts his hand in the dirt. He’s not all the way on the interior. The right side of the offensive line is a real problem. Jonah Williams is a liability. Kelvin Bechum is older. He’s a better option, but he’s not starting. Tip Ryman, who is a third round pick, a blocking tight end. They got a lot of crap. Montas got a lot of crap for that pick. They miss him dearly, being able to chip more than a running back can chip. When you’ve got somebody flying around the edge, like the the right side of the offensive line will be the Achilles heel for the Cardinals. um if they can’t, you know, block for at least two seconds to be able to give to Cleveland at the time to throw the ball like it’s going to be it’s going to be really problematic and I have a feeling you’re going to tell me that is something that the that the CLCs are well equipped to exploit. They and they are and look they are fully healthy at the edge rusher positions. Demarcus Lawrence missed most of that Thursday night game. He got hurt late in the first quarter. Uh but they’ve got the dogs. They are they are the number one pressuring team in the NFL rushing four for a reason like and they can rotate dudes in there and just keep getting after you and so Mike McDonald is an expert at finding the we always used to say when you know offensive game planning when I was coaching like you’re looking for the rat Mike McDonald is so good at finding the area that is the rat and in this case he’s going to say oh that right side of the line and you don’t have your tight end that can chip okay overload time Here we go. And he is he’ll bring some blitzes. They haven’t blitzed a ton because they haven’t needed to, but when they do, they are absolutely lethal. And this is where I think is going to be a difference maker for Seattle in this football game. Seattle had a lot of guys that were out in that first matchup, too. I think that is worth noting. Seattle had a really banged up secondary. They still have Julian Loveback, but Nick Emani was not playing in that game. And Nick Emani has been an absolute monster since he came back from his ankle sprain. And Seattle is using him in the slot because he’s 4-32 speed. You can put him against speedy receivers and guard him. He can go up against Trey McBride and Trey McBride probably hasn’t seen a 6’4 230lb safety that run to 43 that can cover. So they part of the reason they wanted him so bad is for matchups like this. Going against KD, going against McBride, Tennessee West got some stud tight ends. That’s one of the reasons they brought him in. And oh, by the way, the guy the other night against the Commanders, he made a tackle on Debo Samuel with one arm while he was engaged in a block with his other arm. Like, who does that? That’s insane. Like, he he is a specimen. He is a special football player. So, Seattle’s feeling the same way on their defense. They’re like, “Yeah, you’ve got some fun rookies, but like Nicki Menary, we think Nicki Morris should have been a mid-first round pick. We almost picked him instead of Grey’s Ael because we loved him so much.” And he is playing at that level now. So again, I’m just fascinated to see because McBride is a player that I think is incredible, but Seattle has not had a guy like that that they can match up against him. And Devin Witherspoon is not going to be playing at 50%. He’s healthy now. And so I just the matchups here, it feels like two teams that there’s a lot of things that could go either way just because the talent and both teams being healthier, but you just have so many new faces added to this compared to week four that makes it just makes it so fascinating, Alex. Yeah. I mean, and this is and obviously we’ll get to the Keys to Victor here in a second, but like this is and I don’t do predictions. I think they’re d like not dumb. I, you know, I just think that, you know, you talk about what you think is going to happen and when you do a show, it’s pretty obvious where you think the game’s going to go. I have no idea. These are games that the teams that aren’t supposed to win win in this matchup predominantly because Seattle’s been so much better than the Cardinals. This is where the Cardinals go to Seattle and get a win when they’re not supposed to. You know, the Chandler Jones years, all that stuff. It kind of has that weird thing. I’m not saying that’s going to happen. What I’m saying is the Cardinals are well equipped to go up against one of the best teams in football on both sides of the ball and it’s just a matter of if they can have a couple balls bounce their way and stop John. I told you this before we recorded. Alex, they scare me a lot more without Kyler Murray Anderson. I’m just I’m just being brutally honest. And again, it’s not just what he’s doing, you know, throwing the football because that’s obviously made a big difference, but it just seems like the team is following the dude. They they love him. They are playing hard for him. I And it just it feels like when Russell Wilson got benched by Shawn Payeyton. It feels like when Derek Carr got benched in Vegas. It just feels like we got another guy on the team. We’re just going to let him run it out for the rest of the year. And we’re winning or we’re much more competitive. We’re playing really good football against good football teams. If Jacobe Brassette comes up to Seattle and wins against a Seahawks team that’s been as good as anybody the last month and a half. If he does that like that that puts the dagger in the coffin to me. If there’s any sliver of hope for Kyler Murray, it is dead at that point. Like that that’s how big this game is for Jacobe Brassette and really for what the future of the Arizona Cardinals going to be. So there’s a lot riding on this. Keep that in mind. We’re going to get to our keys to victory going into this game that could go back and forth. That’s going to be coming up next here. Crossover Thursday. 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It’s faster, cheaper, and less stressful than any other way I’ve bought sports tickets in the past. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use the code locked in NFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that’s a promo code L O C K D O N for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download Game Time today. Entering the final stretch run here. Locked on Crossover Thursday. Locked on Seahawks. Locked on Cardinals. I’m Corbin Smith, host of the Locked On Seahawks podcast. He’s Alex Clancy. Locked on Cardinals. And even though we are doing podcasts for NFC West rivals, we always have an absolute blast when we get locked on Seahawks and locked on Cardinals together. And now we get to dive into the keys to victory or keys to success. Maybe you don’t want to give away your prediction, so to speak, but the keys for the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks coming into this game. And going to pick your brain first. Let’s talk about Jacobe Brassette and this Arizona Cardinals offense because as we’ve discussed earlier, it is a different offense in the way they are going to attack the Seahawks with Jacobe Brassette playing that position. But looking at this tough task going to Seattle against a hot Seahawks team, what do you think the Cardinals need to do offensively to be able to come to the Pacific Northwest and pull off one of those classic upsets that they have done in the past at Lumen Field? Keep Jacobe Brassette standing. keep him off the turf, keep him off the ground because here’s the thing, his depth, again, as I mentioned, his depth of target is far considerably deeper than than with Kyler Murray. So, it’s not these quick passes. With that said, they’ve got to implement a little quick pass action to be able to keep him upright and not have to worry about screaming around the edge, whoever it’s going to be. Just keeping the ball moving, but it doesn’t always have to be seven or 10, 15, 20 yards down the field. the short to intermediate space in the middle of the field needs to be exploited and they’ve got the perfect skill set of guys to do it. It’s not just Marv, it’s not just Trey. Michael Wilson is a very underrated receiver in this league who just hasn’t gotten the targets because the offense was sputtering. Greg Dors is an electric game changer when he gets the ball in his hands. He doesn’t need much space. Um that’s it. It’s it’s him not holding on to the ball as long by changing the plays from time to time where you can get that quick release, the quick slants, things like that to get positive yardage and not let the pass rush get home. And I’m going to counter from a Seahawks defensive perspective here. Mike McDonald this season has not had to blitz much. As I mentioned, they’re near the bottom of the league in blitz rate. And I don’t expect them to come out and blitz Jacobe Brassette 40%. on Sunday. I’m not expecting that because he’s a seasoned vet who has seen a lot of different looks. With that being said, with the issues Arizona has had on the right side of their line in particular, missing some of the players like uh Tip Ryman who can help with their chipping and stuff. Yep. This is going to be a game where I think Mike McDonald, especially against a quarterback that isn’t a statue, but he isn’t like a super mobile QB either. This is going to be a game where Mike McDonald is going to put on that mad scientist cap a little bit and he’s going to say, “Okay, Arizona, we we think we can win with our front four, but can you handle Nicki Manor, Devin Witherspoon, and and I’m going to throw a name out here that Cardinals fans maybe aren’t too familiar with, but Drake Thomas, man, Drake Thomas is playing great football the last four or five games for Seattle, and he is an outstanding blitzer from the linebacker position. I think Mike McDonald is going to be a little bit more aggressive. Not like he’s suddenly going to turn into the Blitzburg Steelers or anything, but I think he is going to be a little more aggressive to try to speed that clock up a little bit for Jacobe Brassette because as we mentioned earlier, the interceptions haven’t been a problem. But one of the reasons Jacobe Brassette has not lasted as a starter in this league at multiple stops is because of fumbles and getting sacked and having issues holding on to the football. if Seattle can accelerate that clock a little bit and they might be able to do that consistently with just their front four. They’ve been doing that this year, but I have a feeling that this is going to be a game that Devin Witherspoon being fully healthy and Arizona hasn’t seen Nick even War yet. That is just that is a team T-1000 in a football uniform. Like this is going to be first time they’ve seen that. So, I I’m really curious how Arizona handles that because I have a feeling even if it’s not blitzes and it’s sim pressures, Mike McDonald is going to do some things to try to speed that clock up a little bit early. And if Seattle can get a lead and they’re able to sick those guys on Jacobe Brassette, then that makes it harder for them to run the offense that excels with what Brassette has done this year. Yeah. No, that’s right. That’s right. And I mean this when push comes to shove and Sam Darnold’s been elite for the last last year and then half of this year so far. Sam Darnold when pressured has had a proclivity in his life as an NFL player to throw some bad balls. I’m not saying he’s done it lately because he’s been great. He’s matured into this graduation level that nobody really ever thought existed. If you did after seeing him for the first handful of years, you’re lying to yourself and to me. Don’t be a liar. Okay? Like Jacobe Brassette, same kind of thing. Getting pressure on the quarterback, as you mentioned, is the best way to force turnovers. It’s usually the only way, unless there’s, you know, in in in open field, strip sack, peanut punch, whatever it is. Who wins the turnover battle if this game is probably 6535 um Seahawks, I would think around there. 62 38 something like that. Turnovers can flip that very, very quickly. Doesn’t matter if it’s special teams. It doesn’t matter if it’s, you know, ju just a drop ball or if it’s getting pressure on the quarterback and making him make a bad throw. Turnovers in a game like this will tell the story at the end of the game. You know, if there’s no turnovers on either side, you got to give Seattle the the nod. If Cardinals turn Seattle over twice and Seattle doesn’t turn the Cardinals over at all, we’re having a completely different conversation. Added possessions in games like this are what make or break and what allows an inferior opponent to win games if they can win that turnover battle. Yeah. And I think that that’s been maybe the biggest issue that Seattle has had to deal with in the couple losses that they’ve had. They have had too many turnovers. I mean, and even the win over Houston, they had four turnovers in that game. Gross. And they still put up 27 points on the number one scoring defense. And like that tells you what Sam Darnold’s been doing. Like even if he makes a few mistakes, it’s like, yeah, oh well, I’m calm, cool, collected. I’m going to go out and throw a 70 yard bomb to JS. Like that’s what he’s been doing all year. And the biggest difference with him from this year to last year in Minnesota, like and I’ve made this joke and now the Halloween’s passed, it’s probably not funny anymore, but I’m keep saying it because I think it’s funny. He used to talk about seeing ghosts. Now he’s a ghostbuster. The dude just when pressure comes after him, he doesn’t blink. Like he he’s thrown four or five touchdowns this year while he was getting blasted and he’s made perfect throws. Like Yeah. Yeah. Turned he’s turned a new leaf and he’s just a different dude and he’s playing with so much confidence. I look at this game for Seattle. We can talk turnovers. That’s always big in every game. Yeah. Seattle’s best game running the football this year. I can’t believe I’m saying it because Arizona’s run defense is pretty darn good. But Seattle ran the football really well in that game on Thursday Night Football. And they have been so up and down. Like they’re in the top 10 in the league in explosive runs, in rushing touchdowns, but they’re number one in negative rushes. Like they have been at both ends of the spectrum. There’s been no mid ground. And they’re trying to find more consistency with that run game. But I think for Seattle to win this game, especially with some of the new players that are healthy for Arizona, I I don’t think you’re going to be able to just wing the ball over the field like they’re going to have to run the football effectively again the way they did. And I think that Rasheed Shahed fits into that too, mixing in a couple of ender rounds or jet sweeps to try to get the Cardinals playing more horizontal and then start to attack the middle because that’s what they did against Arizona that first matchup and it worked really well. They were in able to start getting the passing game humming. So, this is a game that they absolutely And look, they got to do this if they want to be a Super Bowl contender, which they believe they can be. The run game’s got to be better than what it has been. It doesn’t need to be a top five run game, but they need to be better than they have been to this point. We have a wild inconsistency. This is a game that they can take a positive step forward. And if they don’t and Arizona can make him one-dimensional, even as great as Sam Darnold has played, as great as the O line has played, protecting him, like Arizona’s got the horses to to turn that narrative upside down in this game. So, I think running the football for Seattle and being effective enough, keep those heavy boxes coming so they can take your shots, that has been the recipe that teams just haven’t been able to figure out. And that’s a scary thing. If Seattle started running the ball better, what are you going to do? Uh, pick your own poison type thing. This is the game where you can take that step forward in that run game and I think you’re going to have to to be able to handle Arizona’s talented defense at all three levels. Yeah. And the last thing I’ll say because all that’s right is luckily the Cardinals are playing Rasheed Shahed after Baker Mayfielding this this uh this playbook for four days like Baker did well he did at like two with the Rams but like this is the best time to play Rashid Shahed. He’s not going to know the playbook. like this is he’s not gonna know he’s not gonna thrive until maybe next week, which is not a I’m gonna push back on that, Alex, because he just talked today like this offense, he played in it last year with Clint Kubak in New Orleans. Oh, that’s right. Oh, I stand corrected. I don’t expect I mean, they might not be able to play an entire game like with him, but he is going to know he’s going to know the bread and butter stuff. We forgot about that. So, we forgot about that. It’s a very different That doesn’t happen very often. It’s a very different scenario. Yeah. No, that’s weird. That’s wild. Um, and then the second thing is as long as Zach Charban is on the field, I’m comfortable playing against this runoff playing against his run offense. I don’t understand why people are why we’re shoving Zack Charmin down your throat. Unless it’s like a Mike Tolbert role inside the 10 yard line. Kenneth Walker is by far the more talented back. I don’t understand it. I’m talented. He drives you absolutely nuts though sometimes with his vision and not making his reads correct. Like it drives as a running back coach and a running back myself. It drives like if I had hair to pull out I’d be pulling it out. He’s incredibly talented. I agree with you. But it’s just I think Klay Kubak is another coach has kind of had issues like I know Zach Charbanet is going to read his keys correctly and the issue is they haven’t used Charbanet right a lot of this year. They’ve been doing a lot of pitch plays and stuff and it’s like dude run in between the tackles. That’s where he’s a monster. He is a downhill battering ram. Like you can run inside zone and split zone like a boss with him. But then we’re gonna run three straight sweeps and two of them are going to be the short side of the field. What are you What are you doing? So I understand what fans are frustrated about, but I also I can understand I think Charmin is a better player than a lot of people realize, but they just don’t maximize what he does well. So it’s just that run game. Like if Seattle figures out that run game, this is an incredibly dangerous team going towards January. like they’ve got time to get it figured out, but um they got to figure it out in this game because I think if you’re not running the football well, like I said, I just think Arizona, I fear them more with Jacobe Brassette than I do with Kyler Murray. I don’t know what the hell is going to happen, Corbin. That’s hashtag analysis. I have no idea what the hell is going to happen. I don’t either. Like I I don’t do my predictions till the Friday show and like I’m going to be staying up tonight like who the hell’s winning this game just because you’ve made some very compelling arguments to go with what I’ve seen in film. And I just like I said, I just think this that this Cardinals team is they’re scarier to me without Kyler Murray under center. I I just I don’t fear them when number one is in there. I Jacobe Brassette is running a competent offense that attacks the entire field. And a lot of times when you play Kyler Murray, it’s like, well, this big chunk of the middle, I don’t have to do crap here. Like it really changes things. So this is going to be I have a feeling this is going to be a bar and burner on Sunday. I don’t know who’s going to win. You don’t know who’s going to win. We’re gonna have to at some point figure out who we think is going to win. At least for me, uh, with my prediction segment on Friday, but as always, Alex, it’s been a ton of fun and there are a lot of new ingredients going into this rematch that, uh, that I think Seahawks and Cardinals fans should be really excited to see. What what I’m anticipating is going to be a very tight, hard-fought football game in the NFC West. He’s Alex Clancy. I’m Corbin Smith. Make sure to subscribe to Locked On Seahawks and Locked On Cardinals to listen to our Friday shows heading into this rematch as we continue to dive into everything you need to watch and everything you need to know for Sunday’s week 10 battle at Lumen Field. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Thursday. Go Hawks and go Cardinals.

Arizona Cardinals travel to Seattle for a Week 10 rematch that bears little resemblance to their first encounter earlier this season. The Cardinals have undergone a dramatic transformation since veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett took over for injured starter Kyler Murray, completely reshaping the team’s offensive identity and competitive outlook.

Brissett has been nothing short of revelatory in his three starts, averaging an impressive 25.6 points per game while throwing six touchdowns and demonstrating a willingness to attack downfield at depths Murray simply couldn’t or wouldn’t reach. His vertical passing game has unlocked dimensions of Arizona’s offense that remained dormant under Murray’s conservative approach, creating legitimate questions about the franchise’s long-term quarterback situation.

Corbin Smith and Alex Clancy provide comprehensive analysis of how both teams have evolved since their Week 4 meeting. Arizona’s roster has been significantly upgraded with the additions of first-round talents Will Johnson and Walter Nolen, who bring elite athleticism and playmaking ability to a defense that needed reinforcements. Seattle has countered with their own strategic acquisitions, adding speedster safety Nick Emmanwori to bolster the secondary and offensive weapon Rashid Shaheed, who brings the distinct advantage of already knowing offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak’s system from their time together in New Orleans.

The hosts dissect critical matchup advantages and vulnerabilities on both sides. Arizona’s right tackle position remains a glaring weakness that Seattle’s elite pass rush should exploit relentlessly. Brissett has shown exceptional ability to attack the middle of the field, utilizing the dynamic combination of first-round receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and versatile tight end Trey McBride to devastating effect. Meanwhile, Seattle’s inconsistent run game remains a question mark that could determine their offensive efficiency and ability to control game tempo.

Both hosts candidly admit genuine uncertainty about the outcome, acknowledging that Brissett’s inspired play has made Arizona far more dangerous than their record indicates. This rematch carries significant implications that extend beyond playoff positioning—it could ultimately determine Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona and reshape the NFC West hierarchy for years to come. Let’s discuss.

The Best Daily Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Host Alex Clancy (@ClancysCorner) take an unbiased approach covering the biggest Cards stories.

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