The Seattle Seahawks romped the Arizona Cardinals 44-22 on Sunday. The offense and defense both came out of the gates flying in the first half, giving the home crowd tons to cheer for early and often as they scored five touchdowns before the away team could catch their breath. The 35-0 lead midway through the second quarter continued to bring national attention to Seattle as an NFC frontrunner. Although the scoring slowed down and Arizona scored several times in the second half, the damage they did in the beginning left an unforgettable impression. Every team seeing the Seahawks on their schedule down the stretch will be significantly more scared now.
Players at all levels of contribution put in praise-deserving shifts today. Honorable mentions are in order for George Holani’s first touchdown of the season, followed by a kickoff tackle that inspired juice at an unprecedented level among the special teams unit and sideline alike. Zach Charbonnet got going in the second half to keep the offense on the field, aided by Olu Oluwatimi’s surprising run blocking prowess after starting center Jalen Sundell left the game with a knee injury. Kenneth Walker III also ran efficiently on the day, as all three running backs to receive a carry had 4.4 yards per carry or more- bringing optimism to the controversial backfield committee approach Klint Kubiak has taken this season.
To name any player a dud in today’s game would be a surface-level outlook and a reach at best. Despite limited production on the statsheet from newcomer Rashid Shaheed, his field-stretching may have just unlocked the run game in a way Seattle has been begging for all year.
Here were the six studs we felt deserved the most attention in Week 10.
DeMarcus Lawrence
Although Lawrence produced an unreal statline today, this one is bigger than football. After his former teammate Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this week, Lawrence honored him by speaking on mental health- and followed it up on the field with two touchdowns early in Sunday’s game. Lawrence’s on-field performance was as studly as they come yet still superseded by his honorable comments earlier in the week. I’ve never been prouder to call a player a stud for Seattle in a given week.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
There’s simply no good solution to stop Smith-Njigba. He opened the scoring with a 43-yard strike from Sam Darnold, somehow making his fade route look leisurely and making defensive back Jalen Thompson fall trying to keep up with him in the process. He became the first wide receiver in the NFL to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark this season and continued his pace to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yards record. His middle of the field routes seem to always come open at the perfect time and it’s hard to see how a defense can scheme to slow him down. I’m fascinated as to how Rams head coach Sean McVay will work his defense against him next week, as he’s earned a reputation for defensive wizardry that reshapes the way the rest of the league envisions strategy. That level of innovation is the only hope against him remaining head and shoulders above the rest of the position.
Tyrice Knight
After stepping up due to injury and earning massive praise last week, Knight wrecked the game against Arizona early today. He forced both fumbles on Jacoby Brissett that Lawrence returned for touchdowns, becoming a secret weapon in pressuring opposing offensive lines for one of the least blitz-happy teams in the NFL. His blitzes stunned the Cardinals protection and took advantage of a trick Mike Macdonald has held in his hand all year. Playing that card allowed Knight to capitalize on the massive athletic advantages that got him drafted early by Seattle last season. Teams will see it and be more prepared going forward, but this could be just the beginning of them playing the blitz card to massive effect.
Ty Okada
The undrafted safety Okada struck the Cardinals offense hard and heavy on Sunday. He set the tone with big hits and put fear in the heart of their passing offense trying to work the middle of the field. He racked up eight tackles altogether and added a pass breakup, but playing lockdown defense on all 53 of his coverage snaps forced Arizona away from targeting him more than five times all game. He steadied the safety position, playing all but one of the team’s 76 defensive snaps on the day. Okada couldn’t come off the field today and has a case to stick in the lineup going forward, even when Pro Bowler Julian Love comes back from his hamstring injury.
Drake Thomas
Thomas playing great in this scheme is becoming more of a thing every week. He played all 76 defensive snaps and racked up stats once again. Offenses are struggling to keep him out of their backfield, and the Cardinals felt his presence in nearly every set of downs today. He grabbed two tackles for loss early on, and ended with six tackles on the afternoon. He embodies the phrase ‘playing with his hair on fire’ like few players can. Next week will be a massive test for his long-term viability, as the Rams trendsetting modern offense works the middle of the field to stretch linebackers thin- and they’ll have their eyes peeled for any weaknesses his tenacious play style leaves to exploit. However, his opportunism has earned him a huge role in this defensive scheme, and he’ll have a chance to make his stock soar even higher next week.
Nick Emmanwori
Emmanwori fits the definition of a game-changer on defense right now. He keeps making massive plays when the team needs them the most. When opposing offenses have started to click the past two weeks, he’s stomped out their glimmers of hope with athletic dominance and surprising technical ability. He racked up four passes defended this week, with several coming in crucial red zone situations. He also blew up Cardinals running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight on the first defensive touchdown en route to Knight’s forced fumble and Lawrence’s fumble recovery touchdown. The term ‘chess piece’ can be overused these days, but Emmanwori personifies it in obvious ways on specific plays. He played 70 of 76 total defensive snaps today, the third time he’s played 70 or more snaps in the past four games. Since he got on the field for a full healthy game in Week 6, he’s rapidly gained consistency and become a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. His vitality can’t be overstated right now, but his modern defensive prototype will be especially paramount against the modern, pacesetting Los Angeles offense in next week’s massive divisional matchup.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ Studs and Duds from romp of Arizona Cardinals in NFL Week 10
