These division games can already get pretty weird. These teams spend all offseason preparing to beat each other because they have to play twice by the nature of the game. That would have been hard enough for us to take a swing at - and then we got the two curveballs from last week.

The first happened on Wednesday Night Football when the Seattle Seahawks lost starting quarterback Sam Darnold. It was originally a hip injury that is now being labeled as a soft tissue glute injury. He’s already been ruled out this week, so the Seahawks will roll with backup QB Drew Lock.

The other happened with the Arizona Cardinals. They were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league, with an over/under win total of 3.5. They were two-score underdogs to the Los Angeles Chargers going into this week. And then they not only outright won the game but won in convincing fashion. That changes the dynamic of how we look at this game here. Or does it?

🏅 Seahawks vs. Cardinals Expert Pick: Total Combined Points Under 40.5 (-105 on DraftKings)

I know it’s fun to imagine the Arizona Cardinals with Jacoby Brissett at the helm as some runaway freight train that will just get into shootouts every week. But we have to look at what is going on with this game from a realistic perspective. The Seattle Seahawks still have a VERY good defense, as the New England Patriots found out last week. The Cardinals have some injury concerns on that offensive line, which could compound issues on that front. The Cardinals do not have a good defense but, with Drew Lock at quarterback, the Seahawks are probably going to run a fairly conservative game plan. That does not translate to a lot of scoring.

Folks will point to the game last year where 66 points were scored. But a big part of that was Jacoby Brissett not only fumbling his first drive to a touchdown but also the SECOND drive. Those quick defensive scores run the numbers way up, which happened a lot last year for Arizona. I think this one ends up going the predictable route, which sees the Seahawks take care of business on defense with a conservative, if not sputtering, offense under Drew Lock. 

 

 

 

👀 How To Watch Seahawks vs. Cardinals NFL Week 2

  • Where: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ
  • When: 4:25 PM ET on 9/20
  • Watch on TV: FOX (Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth)
  • Where to stream: NFL+

🔢 Seahawks vs. Cardinals Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

 

 

🏉 Seahawks vs. Cardinals Injury Report & Latest News

As we mentioned, the biggest storyline heading into this game is that Sam Darnold has been ruled out with a glute injury suffered in Week 1 against New England, meaning Drew Lock gets the start. Drew Lock was solid enough in relief, though he didn’t need to do much as the defense had the game in hand. WR Cooper Kupp (back) was upgraded to full participation Thursday, which is a boost, and Tory Horton (hamstring) is trending toward playing after missing Week 1. Limited guys to watch: S Nick Emmanwori (ankle/hip) and T Josh Jones (knee). Emmanwori had offseason ankle surgery that we knew would start him slow, but the hip issue is a new one to monitor. 

Injury-wise, the Arizona Cardinals are in solid shape coming out of Week 1. Jeremiah Love had the injury scare in the preseason but looked fine last week rotating with Tyler Allgeier. TE Trey McBride, S Budda Baker, and OLB Josh Sweat are all listed as DNPs, but that is just veteran rest, as all three are expected to play. The bigger concerns are OG Isaac Seumalo (shoulder), who didn't practice, and OG Isaiah Adams, who is just returning from a knee injury that cost him Week 1. The offensive line having some problems is part of the reason we are looking at the under above. 

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