6 things to know about the Seahawks and Cardinals…

6 things to know about the Seahawks and Cardinals going into Week 7

The Seattle Seahawks are back at home this week, where they will face the NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals in a game that’s far more important than it may first appear to be on paper.

Here are six essential things to know about these teams going into their Week 7 matchup.

1
Seahawks have won 3 straight vs. Cards

Matchup history doesn’t matter much in football, where a team’s fortunes can dramatically change in just one snap. However, for whatever it’s worth Seattle has been getting the best of Arizona lately. The Seahawks are 25-22-1 all-time against the Cardinals and have won their last three meetings.

2
Kyler Murray, Budda Baker and James Conner are all out

The first thing to know about this Arizona team is that they are missing some of their best players and they don’t have many to spare. At the top of the list, franchise QB Kyler Murray is still on the PUP list, although he has been designated to return. The Cardinals’ best defender, former Washington safety Budda Baker is on injured reserve. Their top offensive playmaker this year has been running back James Conner but he’s on IR right now, as well.

3
Joshua Dobbs is better than expected

With Kyler Murray out we expected this to be the worst team in the NFL this year. That hasn’t happened, though. Arizona might be 1-5 but they beat a tough Cowboys team and have only been blown out once by the 49ers. The rest of their games have been relatively close. Joshua Dobbs’ far better than expected performance is the biggest reason why. He currently ranks No. 17 in the league in QBR (48.9).

4
Seattle's offensive line is still shorthanded

While the Seahawks got their starting left tackle Charles Cross back in the lineup last week, their offensive line unit as a whole remains pretty banged up. The biggest problem has been right tackle, where Abe Lucas remains on injured reserve with his mysterious knee issue. Jake Curhan has struggled in his place, especially in pass protection. Inside, Evan Brown and Olu Oluwatimi have done well pass blocking, but the guards not so much. Geno Smith will likely have to keep his head on a swivel once again this week.

5
Both teams struggling in red zone

If it seems like scoring is down around the league you aren’t wrong. The short version is that defenses are getting smarter – especially by taking away explosive passes and tightening up in the red zone. That’s been a problem area for both teams this season. Heading into Week 7 Arizona and Seattle are tied at No. 21 in the league in red zone efficiency, scoring a touchdown on just 50% of their trips inside the 20. Bet the under and expect a low-scoring affair.

6
A critical game for the NFC playoff race

The Seahawks have an absolutely brutal schedule in the second half of the season, especially a four-game stretch beginning next month that includes the Cowboys, the Eagles and the 49ers twice. That’s why they can’t afford any slip-ups right now. According to the New York Times’ playoff calculator, Seattle’s chances of making the playoffs will drop to just 27% with a loss to the Cardinals. A win puts them at 55%.