The Arizona Cardinals haven't beaten the Seattle Seahawks since 2021; that's nine straight matchups with victories for the Hawks.Yet, ESPN's Power Index gives t
The Arizona Cardinals haven't beaten the Seattle Seahawks since 2021; that's nine straight matchups with victories for the Hawks.
Yet, ESPN's Power Index gives the Cards a 56% chance of beating the defending Super Bowl champs.
So what gives?
First, don't put too much stock in that metric, as it's often wrong.
Second, they are onto something, at least, because Arizona did look much improved in their 26-14 win over a solid Chargers team last week.
So here are three things we're watching heading into what should be a fun matchup with the Seahawks and Cardinals down in the desert.
Win the turnover battle.
While this is probably true for every team that's ever played football, it's simply impossible to ignore in this matchup.
Remember in 2024 we had the "Coby Quake" when Coby Bryant ran an interception back for a score and sent the crowd into a frenzy, hence causing a minor shake around the stadium? Or how about in 2025, when Mike Macdonald dialed up the same blitz and got a defensive touchdown against both teams when Tyrice Knight drilled Jacoby Brissett, forcing a fumble which (both times) DeMarcus Lawrence picked up and returned for a touchdown.
Indeed, the turnovers seem to carry more weight in this series, at least since Mike Macdonald arrived. As a whole, the Seahawks are undefeated when winning the turnover battle during the Macdonald era. So while this is an "easy" thing to point out, it just carries exponentially more weight not just with the Seahawks but with this particular matchup.
Besides, this Seahawks defense loves to create momentum; look no further than the Patriots game in Week 1, where three interceptions either led to points or helped seal the game. The Hawks defense is arguably healthier in this game and hungry to create more game-changing havoc.
Slow down McBride
If we're going to talk about tendencies in this rivalry, we have to talk about Trey McBride, the Cardinals tight end. In the game at Lumen Field, McBride went for 127 yards receiving, a massive number from the tight end spot. Though, to be fair, in the first game in this series, Seattle held him relatively in check at just 52 yards.
But the point remains: he does have the capability to do damage. Now, it's worth pointing out the Dark Side defense truly finds unique and innovative ways to adjust, but this is absolutely a matchup with the Seahawks linebackers to watch. Perhaps Ernest Jones IV and his ball-hawking ability can step in the passing lane for a key turnover.
Control the ground game, control the win
This is a really interesting story with Jeremiyah Love at running back for Arizona and Jadarian Price in the same spot for the Seahawks- they were college teammates at Notre Dame. And we know the Seahawks want to control this game on the ground and dictate the tempo.
So it's much more than just the fun college teammate rematch. It's just the second game in the rookie season for both Love and Price, meaning both guys are due for a breakout after solid and memorable moments in their debut. So, who will take the larger leap in week 2? That could be the difference in this game.
