Coming off their first shutout loss in a decade, the Seahawks will look to rebound and keep their season alive against the NFC's current No. 2 seed: the Cardinals. Both teams are heading into this one pretty banged up, with Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray (ankle) and Seattle defensive backs Jamal Adams (groin) and D.J. Reed (groin) all listed as game-time decisions.
With so much up in the air, this is a hard game to get a great feel for. But we're going to give it our best shot and offer up five picks to click for the Seahawks in a must-win affair at Lumen Field.
RB Alex Collins
After calling just 11 runs to 48 dropbacks in Green Bay last week, head coach Pete Carroll made it clear the ground game will be a bigger focus of Seattle's this week. Good timing because Arizona's defense is tied for dead-last in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (4.8), giving Collins a great opportunity to take control of this game. The last time he faced a comparable run defense was in Pittsburgh, where he recorded the team's lone individual 100-yard rushing performance this season. Look for him to crack the century mark again, assuming the hobbled Cardinals don't jump out to a significant lead.
WR Tyler Lockett
Lockett has been up-and-down in his career against the Cardinals, reeling in 47 of 64 targets for 584 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Arizona's pass defense has been fantastic this year, headlined by the breakout campaign of third-year cornerback Byron Murphy. Lockett should see a good deal of Murphy and Robert Alford on Sunday, which could lead to some issues. However, with Russell Wilson another week removed from finger surgery, he'll be looking No. 16's way early and often. As we've seen for years, that connection can make magic happen at any given time and, frankly, they're long overdue for some.
DT Al Woods
Whether Murray is able to return or Colt McCoy starts his third consecutive game at quarterback, the Cardinals are likely to lean on their run game more than usual. Running back James Conner has been electric out of the backfield as of late, though he's actually done most of his damage as a receiver. Nevertheless, the Seahawks will need a strong game in the trenches to come out of this one victorious, and while teams have started to run away from Woods, the big defensive tackle is going to find a way to leave his mark on this one.
LB Jordyn Brooks
Over his last three games, Brooks has been on fire. He led the team in tackles in Green Bay, has played better in coverage and continues to be an underrated force against the run. His ability out in space will be key in this one, especially when it comes to defending the likes of Conner, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore. Expect the second-year man out of Texas Tech to rack up some numbers on Sunday.
CB Tre Brown
Earlier this week, Brown said one of the biggest things he wants to work on is creating turnovers. Perhaps this is the game for him to finally nab his first career interception, going up against a DeAndre Hopkins-less Cardinals receiving corps and either a recovering Murray or McCoy at quarterback. He's been able to meet and exceed all expectations with flying colors thus far, so it's hard to bet against him making yet another statement with the stakes higher than ever for Seattle.
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