One team came into the season with expectations of advancing further through the playoffs than it has in recent memory while letting their star player cook. The other team came into 2020 with the idea of building off of the positives they were establishing with their talented young quarterback with the hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in a few years.

As it stands, both clubs enter this game with 6-3 records and a chance to further take over their division. Last time around a few weeks ago, the upstart Arizona Cardinals narrowly beat the Seattle Seahawks in over time down in the desert. This time around, Seattle will be looking for revenge in a very determined way while the Cardinals will be feeling all confidence after a thrilling last second hail Mary win against the Buffalo Bills, another team that recently beat the Seahawks.

This should be one of the better Thursday Night Football games we see all year. I’m looking forward to this one.

Seahawks beat the Cardinals by..

Russell Wilson returning to efficient and smart decision Russell Wilson. The last two weeks have been rough for our star quarterback. He has turned the ball over ten times in two games since coming off of a solid and efficient game against the 49ers. In this game, he needs to get back to playing that style of ball. It is likely that he will, and he will be helped by a more determined run game, and plays that will have him move outside of the pocket instead of being the sitting duck that he has been for two weeks. He needs to take it to a banged up Cardinal defense instead of letting that defense take it to him. He will be extremely determined to right his wrongs that have plagued him recently.

Seattle commits more to the run but only so far as to return to a balanced attack. You think that the Seattle defensive line has problems? The Arizona D line is without every single one of it’s projected starters. If ever there is a time to run the rock it is in this game. Seattle just has to not get too predictable running. They need to run enough to soften a defense that will be trying to attack Wilson, and they need to run it enough to get Wilson doing what he does best, and that is rolling outside the pocket on bootlegs for either keepers or play action passes. If they can establish the run against a weakened Cardinal defensive front, expect to see some big pass plays to tight ends. This could be Jacob Hollister’s night.

Defensively, they don’t play passive against Kyler Murray. Seattle needs to scrap the playbook that they used against Murray a few games ago. In that match, they brought little pressure and used their fastest linebacker, Shaquem Griffin, as a spy on Murray. The result was a horrid defensive effort that was hard to watch. They were reduced to using run stuffing defensive tackles (Jarran Reed) to contain Murray, and they were relying on a one handed special teams player to make plays against him (Griffin). Playing without their two starting corners for the second straight game, they really need to bring it to Murray. They need to attack him with defensive backs and linebackers, and they need to ocassionally be able to rush with four pass rushers. Last time they played, Seattle had not traded for Carlos Dunlap, and they did not have Jamal Adams healthy enough to play. This game, will be different. A player to watch is Poona Ford who quietly has been having a very solid month as an interior pass rusher. If Carlos Dunlap and the other edge rushers can get Murray to step into the pocket, Poona might be there to feast.

Seahawks lose this one by..

Russell Wilson not being able to correct his game enough and the turnovers keep happening. To be honest, it’s hard for me to imagine this happening, but if the Cardinals jump up early like the Bills did a couple weeks ago, Russ might start feeling the weight of the world again, and in that, he might press like he has done in back to back weeks. A huge key to the game is for Russ not to get stuck doing this again.

The defense still finding little answers to stopping Murray even with bringing pressure. In this scenario, even if Russell has one of his better games, the Seahawks will be in danger losing another shootout. Stopping Murray might even be too tall of an ask. The more realistic scenario might be do enough to slow him down enough so that Russell can win this shootout. This might be the key to the game.

My Prediction

Enjoy this game, Twelves. Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks right their ship.

Seahawks get revenge and win, 38-31.

While Seattle gets back to it’s meat and potatoes DNA on offense a bit more by running the ball, the big beneficiary of that will be Russell Wilson. Expect a big game out of him. Expect him to get everyone involved from the running backs to the tight ends to his star receivers.

Defensively, expect Seattle to have a better effort this time around on Kyler Murray. They won’t stop him, but they can harass him enough into just enough mistakes to help Russ win this shootout this time around. Like with Russell, there is pride on the line for key defenders like Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams. They will want to wash the taste out of their mouth from the last two weeks badly in this game. Expect inspired efforts out of these two and expect other defenders to feed of that. Just a big hunch that I have.

This is the way that I see it, anyways. I just don’t see Russell Wilson losing three straight games, even with this maligned defense.

Go Hawks.