Rapid Reaction: Offensive Struggles Continue In 23-13 Loss To Cardinals

The Seahawks lost to the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field on Sunday afternoon, further hurting their hopes of turning their season around and getting back into the playoff hopes. Despite the Cardinals missing two of their top offensive players, the NFC West leaders were able to get the job done, handing the Seahawks a 23-13 defeat that dropped Seattle’s record to 3-7. While the Seahawks do still have seven game to try to get back on track, they have already matched their highest loss total since Russell Wilson took over as quarterback in 2012.Here are five rapid reaction’s to Sunday’s loss:1. Seattle’s offense has a lot to clean up. A week after getting shut out for the first time in a decade, the Seahawks were able avoid that fate against the Cardinals, but it was another very challenging day for Seattle’s offense. Since a third-quarter touchdown drive in a Week 8 win over Jacksonville, the Seahawks went 20 offensive possessions without a touchdown before a DeeJay Dallas 2-yard touchdown run ended that streak in the fourth quarter. In Sunday’s loss, the Seahawks were able to find more success running the ball than they had the previous week, but two promising first-half drives stalled out in the red zone, leading to field goals, and trailing by double digits it he second half they weren’t able to stick with the running game. As for the passing game, Russell Wilson avoided the costly turnovers that hurt him and the offense last week, but he still missed more throws than usual, and also was hurt by a few drops from his pass catchers, resulting in Wilson completing 14 of 26 passes for 207 yards. Wilson was also sacked four times, including 2.5 times by Chandler Jones, who had four against the Seahawks the last time he faced them. The Seahawks finished just 2 of 10 for on third down, and were held to 266 yards, their fourth straight game with fewer than 300 yards.2. Colt McCoy and company got the job done with two of Arizona’s big offensive stars sidelined. The Cardinals were playing a third straight game without starting quarterback Kyler Murray and All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but even without those two, the Cardinals were able to get enough done on offense to win, thanks in large part to the play of backup quarterback Colt McCoy. McCoy, who also started in a win at Lumen Field last year as a member of the Giants, was very sharp against a Seahawks defense that has been playing really well over the past month, completing 35 of 44 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Zach Ertz, who caught both of those touchdown passes, was also a handful, gaining 88 yards on eight receptions.3. Tyler Lockett made the most out of limited opportunities. While there weren’t a lot of bright spots for Seattle’s offense, Tyler Lockett’s performance did stand out on a day where little else went right. Lockett caught all four of his targets for 115 yards, including a 48-yarder in the fourth quarter that set up the Seahawks’ only touchdown. It was Lockett’s 14th career 100-yard game, and his fourth this season.4. Bryan Mone, pass rusher? Coming into Sunday’s game, Bryan Mone had played 22 games in three seasons and recorded half a sack. That’s not to say Mone hasn’t been an important player, particularly over the past two seasons, but his forte as a big defensive tackle has been stopping the run, not getting after the quarterback. Against the Cardinals, however, Mone showed off he’s more than just a run-stuffer, tripling his previous output with 1.5 sacks of Colt McCoy. Mone’s first sack also forced fumble, though the Cardinals were able to fall on it. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the pass rush couldn’t get home other than those two sacks, the second of which was split between Mone and Poona Ford. The Seahawks got close to McCoy frequently, but he was able to escape pressure throughout the game to extend plays.5. A nice family moment for Carlos Dunlap II. While not a lot went right for the Seahawks during Sunday’s game, fans were treated to a pretty special moment during a third-quarter break in the action. As part of the Seahawks’ Salute to Service game, Dr. Diana Ross-Jackson was honored on the field during a commercial break to recognize her 11 years in the Army Reserves as a dental specialist. And in addition to her service to the country, as well as a long career as an educator—first as a teacher and then as a principal—Dr. Ross-Jackson is a mother of two, one of whom is Seahawks pass-rusher Carlos Dunlap II. After Dr. Ross-Jackson was introduced, Dunlap ran to the north end zone from Seattle’s sideline to give his mom a big hug just before play resumed.

Rapid Reaction: Offensive Struggles Continue In 23-13 Loss To Cardinals

Notes and takeaways from a Week 11 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.