Seahawks vs Cardinals Comes Down to This Matchup

The Arizona Cardinals host the Seattle Seahawks - here's what the game could boil down to.
Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks meet for a crucial Week 14 matchup at State Farm Stadium.

Winner assumes control of the NFC West with four weeks left in the season. After having met just two weeks ago - a result that fell 16-6 in Seattle's favor - the stakes are even higher, for both squads.

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Various matchups will help tilt the field in either direction, though it's clear a matchup in the CB/WR department will have massive implications on Sunday.

Cardinals CB Garrett Williams has taken a strong step forward in year two, and the same could be said for Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Williams had an interception in their first meeting while Smith-Njigba had six receptions for 77 yards and one score.

Ahead of Week 14, ESPN highlighted the matchup as one of the top ones to watch across the league:

"Smith-Njigba's sophomore breakout is in full swing. His yards per route run has jumped from 1.3 last season to 1.9 this season -- and he's all the way up to 3.2 since Week 8. It has helped him to 829 yards on 70 catches. But he has stiff competition in Week 14 . Smith-Njigba plays from the slot 77% of the time, which means he should face off against Williams," wrote Seth Walder.

"The 2023 third-round pick out of Syracuse is having his own impressive second season. He has allowed 0.5 yards per coverage snap and minus-21 EPA as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Those both rank first among qualifying slot corners. The winner of this matchup should play a key role in determining which team comes out on top."

The highly anticipated matchup was also pumped up by NFL.com during their Week 14 preview:

"Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams has allowed the lowest completion percentage (51.2%), completion percentage over expected (-13.7%), and passer rating (48.6) among slot cornerbacks with at least 25 targets this season. His 3.9 yards per target allowed are the fewest among slot corners since 2018 (Taron Johnson , 3.8). Williams has also allowed just 19 receiving yards on 13 targets in man coverage this season," wrote Mia Fowler.

"Jaxon Smith-Njigba has lined up in the slot on 77.1% of his snaps this season, the second-highest rate among players with at least 250 offensive snaps. As a result, Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in receptions (57) and yards (693) out of the slot. Since the Seahawks Week 10 bye, Smith-Njigba has generated a league-leading +69 receiving yards over expected from the slot."

Cardinals vs Seahawks kicks off at 2:05 PM local time at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.


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Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!