Seahawks defense ends nine-game red zone scoring streak against Cardinals
Seattle held Arizona to three points on Sunday, snapping a league-worst trend of allowing points inside the 20-yard line.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
Seattle fans watching from the stands on Sunday saw a different team than the one that lost 34-17 to Chicago on Monday night. The Seahawks hosted the Arizona Cardinals and won 17-3, a result that erased the blowout defeat from the previous week. The win came despite the absence of starting quarterback Sam Darnold and key defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Uchenna Nwosu.
The defensive performance marked a sharp turn from recent struggles. Seattle had allowed points on nine consecutive trips inside its own 20-yard line before Sunday. That gave the Seahawks the worst red zone conversion rate in the league at 83 percent. Against Arizona, the defense stopped the Cardinals twice in the red zone. Seattle allowed zero points after Arizona completed its first drive of the game.
Edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence forced a fumble and recorded two tackles for loss. He also sacked Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II once. Lawrence’s tackle for loss on running back Tyler Allgeier initiated the final defensive stand. Nick Emmanwori broke up a pass to Trey McBride in the end zone on fourth down to seal the win. The defense limited Arizona to 50 total rushing yards and recorded eight tackles for loss.
Backup quarterback Drew Lock started in place of Darnold. Lock threw for 175 yards and one touchdown while playing through a lingering elbow injury and a mid-game oblique strain. Running back Zach Charbonnet rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries, his best performance since tearing his ACL last season. Rookie running back Jadarian Price added 54 receiving yards, a team high. Tight end A.J. Barner scored both of Seattle’s touchdowns in the first half.
Safety Julian Love said the team’s swagger was present during the game. He noted that practice this week emphasized red zone defense. The Seahawks allowed a top-five red zone conversion rate of 50 percent in 2025. Love stated that the team needed to show they were turning the trend around. Byron Murphy II said the team needs to play as one to reach its previous defensive form.
Head coach Mike Macdonald said the win demonstrated the power of the 70-man roster. He noted that depth players stepped in without flinching despite injuries at the front of the line. Guard Grey Zabel moved to left guard, allowing Anthony Bradford to start at right guard. The offensive line managed the game well despite missing Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson, who is out with a knee injury.
Lock said he knew the team could control the game with the run, giving the defense long fields to defend. He mentioned that punter Michael Dickson was able to pin opponents deep. The Seahawks will face the Las Vegas Raiders next week before a bye week. The Raiders are coached by Klint Kubiak, Seattle’s offensive coordinator during last year’s Super Bowl win. Lock’s status against Las Vegas remains uncertain given his elbow and oblique injuries.
