Enemy Confidential: Seahawks Wary of Dynamic, Upset-Minded Cardinals

The addition of running back Kenyan Drake and a more aggressive approach on offense are among several factors Pete Carroll is concerned about as Seahawks look to maintain their hold on the NFC’s top playoff seed in a rematch with the Cardinals.

The last time the Seahawks faced the Cardinals, the young squad was in full find-themselves mode. A new flashy quarterback leading a new flashy offense was bound to experience its share of growing pains and that was certainly evident in Week 4 as Seattle took care of business in the desert, dispatching rookie Kyler Murray and Arizona 27-10 in a game that never really seemed to be in doubt.

Fast forward to this Week 16 showdown at CenturyLink Field and you'll find a much improved, much more confident Arizona contingent anxious to play spoiler as Seattle tries to hold serve at home with a potentially gargantuan showdown looming next week against San Francisco.

Trap game? Perhaps, if there wasn’t so much on the line. Currently in possession of the top seed in the NFC, the Seahawks aren’t likely to be looking past the Cardinals, even knowing what may be at stake the following Sunday.

But with Seattle’s defense looking like a M*A*S*H unit after notching their 11th win Sunday in Carolina and Arizona coming off its most impressive win of the season, a 38-24 romp over Cleveland, coach Pete Carroll and his staff understand the importance of taking this 4-9-1 Arizona team seriously.

Here’s a closer look at the Seahawks upcoming opponent, including series history, additions/departures, key numbers, and Carroll’s evaluation of the revitalized Cardinals as they prepare for their second meeting of the season:

SERIES HISTORY

--42nd regular season meeting. Seahawks lead the tightly-fought series 21-19-1.

Since Carroll took over in 2010. the Seahawks hold the edge 12-6-1 and have won four of the last five matchups, including a Week 4 victory in Arizona.

WHAT’S NEW?

-Additions: Prior to the Week 4 meeting, we highlighted the arrival of quarterback Kyler Murray with the top overall draft pick and a bevy of rookie receivers drafted to surround him in coach Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense (as well as Kingsbury himself, obviously). But that all seems so long ago. The biggest addition since then is without a doubt running back Kenyan Drake, who was acquired via trade with Miami just prior to the trade deadline in late October. Drake has added a new dimension to the Cardinals' offense. In six games since joining Arizona, Drake has rushed 87 times for 417 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and five touchdowns, adding 22 catches for another 130 yards for good measure. He’s been so good that he’s relegated former All-Pro back David Johnson to spot duty off the bench.

-Subtractions: Just last week, the Cardinals said goodbye to veteran pass rusher Terrell Suggs, who at the age of 37 was finally playing close to home after a long and illustrious career in Baltimore. The Seahawks reportedly tried to claim him on waivers, but the Chiefs beat them to it. Suggs was playing well the last time Seattle faced Arizona and totaled 5.5 sacks on the year, but he had faded in recent weeks prior to his release.

NORTHWEST TIES

The Seahawks had their Legion of Boom, and now the Cardinals have a secondary you could label The Northwest Connection. Two former University of Washington players are starting in rookie cornerback Byron Murphy and third-year safety Budda Baker, while Washington State alum Jalen Thompson is starting at the other safety spot in his rookie year as well.

Two former Seahawks are also starting for the Cardinals in outside linebacker Cassius Marsh and guard J.R. Sweezy.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

3: Number of quarterbacks to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 500 yards in their rookie season: Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, and now Murray, who is at 3,279 and 504 - and counting.

46: Times Murray has been sacked, the highest total in the NFL.

1,087: Rushing yards before contact by the Cardinals, among the five best teams in the NFL.

3.5: Drop percentage for Arizona receivers, sixth-lowest in the league.

34: Touchdown passes surrendered by Arizona's defense, the most in the NFL.

15: Sacks for Arizona EDGE Chandler Jones, second-best in the NFL.

15: Number of touchdown receptions given up to tight ends, most in the league.

44.9: Percentage of opposing offensive drives ending with a score, third-worst in the NFL.

128: Missed tackles by the Cardinals on defense and special teams, the most among 32 teams.

CARROLL’S THOUGHTS

--Regarding Murray’s development since the last time these two teams met, Carroll believes the rookie is even more dangerous since the arrival of Drake.

“They’re still moving the ball all around,” Carroll said. “It’s his use of [Kenyan] Drake that’s different and changes him somewhat because the ways they get him the football. I thought he looked good before. He looks good now. I think the running part of it is just an added element that we have to live with. I don’t know if that was by design or not. We have to count on it. We counted on it last time, too. This is a little bit different. We’re adding emphasis. The throwing part of it, I think, is pretty much the same. He’s been solid. He’s been solid throughout.”

--In fact, now that Murray has such a talented running mate to take some pressure off of him, Carroll believes he sees some similarities between the Cardinals and the Baltimore Ravens system that has been so successful for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“They’re running it and they have a number of ways that they can run them,” said Carroll. “Not to mention their scrambles, but just in their running scheme. He’s involved in the QB read stuff and design plays for him, which is similar. It is similar. That is as difficult as football gets when the quarterback is a focused runner. That just adds so much more to the dimensions of their attack. They have stepped that up some and it looked really good this week in particular.”

And as the season has progressed, so too has the Arizona offense. Progressed - and evolved.

“They really have shifted gears,” Carroll pointed out. “They were a four-wide team primarily earlier on. They’re just using all their people and it’s a multiple attack. They’re very, very apt to give you new stuff each week, new plays and new formations and stuff like that out of their personnel. It just makes them more varied. I don’t know if it’s better or worse, but it’s more varied for sure and it. It certainly challenges us in preparation.”

--On offense, Carroll is wary of EDGE Chandler Jones, who currently ranks second in the league with 15.0 sacks.

“He’s got the right make up,” said Carroll. “He’s really tall and long. He’s explosive. He has a great motor for rushing the pass read. Adds great energy to his pass rush. That length just pays off in so many different ways for him to avoid getting blocked. The motor is the part that I like the best about him because he just keeps bringing it. He’s very difficult.”

The implications of this game can’t be overstated for the Seahawks. A loss may knock them all the way down into the wild card round while a win improves their record to 12-3 on the season, keeps them in the driver’s seat for the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed, and sets up a sort of winner-take-all showdown on the final Sunday against the 49ers.

Only an upstart, improving Cardinals team with visions of playing spoiler on it’s mind stands in the way.