The Seattle Seahawks are back in first place in the NFC West after defeating the Arizona Cardinals, 28-21, at the newly-renamed Lumen Field in Seattle on “Thursday Night Football.” Seattle held the lead the entire time, but Kyler Murray and the Cardinals kept things uncomfortably close for much of those 60 minutes. Here are the standout good, bad, and ugly takeaways from the Seahawks’ seventh win of the season:
THE GOOD
Carlos Dunlap: Acquiring Dunlap from the Bengals was a masterstroke from GM John Schneider, as the explosive defensive end has taken the Seahawks’ struggling pass rush to new heights since his arrival. Dunlap was an absolute terror in the backfield with three QB hits and two sacks, including the game-sealing takedown on 4th and 10 at Seattle’s 27. The consistent pressure he generated often threw Kyler Murray off of his game, forcing the Cardinals QB to either run for his life or throw the ball away for no gain. Dunlap should feast against the Eagles’ offensive line in 11 days’ time on “Monday Night Football.”
The defense: Seattle’s defensive unit looked like an entirely different squad on Thursday, holding Arizona’s potent offense to 317 yards (their second-lowest total of the season). The Cardinals’ running game was effectively shut down against a strong front seven, only accumulating 57 yards, while star receiver DeAndre Hopkins posted just 51 yards on five catches. The Seahawks set the tone from Arizona’s very first drive, forcing a quick three-and-out, and were able to repeat that performance on the Cards’ second drive. Seattle’s defensive line also forced a holding call in the end zone, leading to a rare safety (and Seahawks ball) with a four-point lead and 9:12 left in the fourth quarter.