Top Performers in 16-6 Win Against Arizona Cardinals

Returning to first place in the NFC West thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker, Seattle Seahawks He took care of business with a suffocating defensive effort to send the Arizona Cardinals back to Glendale with a 16-6 victory at Lumen Field on Sunday.

Geno Smith and the offense did enough to secure the victory late as Seattle’s defense, which prevented Arizona from scoring for the first time this season, fueled a second straight victory over its division rival. After reviewing All-22 film from Sunday’s defensive tackle, here are my top five grades and other notable performances from Week 12.

General Note: 92.0 (Defensive Rush 90, Tackle 90, Pass Rush 94)

Dismantling every play from the Cardinals’ offensive line with his strength, quickness and excellent hand technique, Williams took on the role of a one-man wrecking crew in perhaps the best game of his NFL career, not to mention his two seasons in Seattle. . He nearly turned a game-changing strip sack in the first half when he hit Kyler Murray’s elbow while throwing, initially causing a fumble, which unfortunately turned into an incomplete pass on replay review. Shortly before halftime he went to Murray again, this time the two completed the deal by splitting the tackle and splitting the sack with teammate Jarran Reed to force an Arizona punt.

Literally Williams, two plays after a four-yard tackle for a loss — which isn’t very fair at 6-5, 300 pounds — passes Johnson on a quick run from the wide 9 line for a two-point stop for a sack.

Again, it’s a cheat code that is this size and does this… #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/5PT8Er9FGU

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) 25 November 2024

Out of the timeout, Williams continued to destroy Arizona’s guards, smartly diagnosing a pin-and-shoot running play to blow up James Conner in the backfield for a four-yard loss before the snap. Two plays later, displaying his rare positional flexibility at 300 pounds, he slid outside in a two-point stance and quickly beat Paris Johnson Jr., turning the corner and past the blocker to sack Murray from behind on the third play. down. He then added a third sack chasing down the speedy quarterback in pursuit and finished with seven pressures, four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss in an utterly dominant performance for the ages.

General Note: 89.0 (Run Defense 92, Tackle 90, Coverage 86)

Statistically, Witherspoon didn’t have as effective a game as he did against the 49ers a week ago, but the numbers don’t paint an accurate picture of how disruptive the energetic, feisty cornerback was on Sunday. He played a key role in holding the Cardinals rushing team to under 50 yards, blocking Michael Wilson’s block attempt and then fumbled James Conner in the backfield for a tackle for loss deep in Arizona territory, and although it was rough, he managed to make the play. afflicted. He finished with six tackles, even though the Cardinals rarely tested him while running outside.

Devon Witherspoon remains 1/1… Dude is a ball of fire, flying all over the 22 out of nowhere, blowing away runners who weigh 30 pounds more than him. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/CoX5KnzSzi

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) 26 November 2024

Although she didn’t dominate or tackle the football, Witherspoon’s best play came early in the third quarter. With Arizona facing 4th-and-1 and trying to advance in Seattle territory, Murray rolled to his right, thinking he could turn the corner and get the first down with his legs. But the aggressive corner had other plans; coming out and tackling the quarterback in a relentless pursuit, forcing Murray to unload the football as he approached the sideline. The pass went over Wilson’s head and into the hands of Coby Bryant; Bryant came back with a 69-yard field goal, thanks in part to Witherspoon’s block after actively taunting Arizona’s sideline. Talk about adding insult to injury for the losing team.

General Note: 88.0 (Receive 90, Run Inhibit 65*)

*Weighted for nine run blocking reps

Continuing his meteoric rise to become one of the NFL’s best receivers, Smith-Njigba once again served as the spark in Seattle’s offense moving after the catch and completing key first down conversions. Failing to produce more than 30 net yards and punting on each of his first four offensive possessions, the second-year wideout caught a well-timed tunnel screen late in the second quarter and accelerated into the wide open field for a 46-yard gain. Three plays later, Geno Smith came back to him on a rushing out for a three-yard touchdown to put the Seahawks ahead before halftime.

A beautifully executed tunnel screen with Olu Oluwatimi sprinting ahead of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/7Dam3cumS3

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) 26 November 2024

Although Smith-Njigba didn’t have any more explosive catches in the second half, he continued to show up when Smith called his number. Displaying excellent touch balance for a receiver, he turned a five-yard catch into a seven-yard gain on 3rd-and-6 and was able to bounce off a tackle attempt to move the chains and get a few more yards out. He also had an eight-yard catch that turned a 2nd-and-16 into a much more manageable 3rd-and-8, allowing Smith to find DK Metcalf for an 18-yard gain and Jason Myers late in regulation for the extra cushion. It allowed him to create his shot. on the scoreboard. Although he failed to reach 100 yards for the third straight game, he still led the team with six catches for 77 yards and one rushing touchdown.

General Note: 86.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackle 92, Pass Rush 86, Coverage 80)

Knight, who has continued to take the bull by the horns since taking over as Seattle’s new starter at weakback, got off to a hot start Sunday, recording his first career sack on a crossover blitz by teammate Ernest Jones on the game’s opening drive. Pressure from the edge forced Murray to get to the rookie and he didn’t miss the opportunity, leading to a Cardinals punt on the next play. Two possessions later, he caught what appeared to be a fumble from Murray and scored, but the goal was expunged on replay review.

One of the things I love about Tyrice Knight? Dude pushes blocks like they’re covered in Off Spray. Warden and Corrals recover from the collision with Conner without a hitch. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/RiqtN8hydp

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) 26 November 2024

Contributing to Seattle’s success shutting down Arizona’s ground game, Knight finished with nine combined tackles, including stuffing Conner on a two-yard run without missing a tackle. He regularly throws blocks with ease, which allows him to be an active ball carrier near the line of scrimmage. Although he allowed five catches on eight targets in coverage, those receptions netted only 46 yards and a pass breakup that nearly resulted in a forced completion.

General Note: 84.0 (Passing 86, Running 60*)

*Weighted for two rush attempts

Far from perfect, Smith once again made a poor decision in the red zone in the fourth quarter that erased at least three points from the Seahawks’ scoreboard; which could come back to bite them in a tight, low-scoring affair. However, a strong argument can be made that the team wouldn’t have won on Sunday if it wasn’t for his theatrics to evade pressure and make plays outside the structure with his arm to move the ball downfield, especially if he didn’t have a running game to complement it.

This will go down as one of Geno Smith’s best games. How did he get out of that sack?

And then throw that dart off the platform, between three oncoming defenders? pic.twitter.com/kkQqgcBwyE

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) 26 November 2024

Two particular plays stand out, starting with Smith’s 29-yard completion to Metcalf in the 3rd and 7th quarters. With multiple runners collapsing in the pocket, he stood up and rolled to his right, firing a bullet across his body to the open receiver downfield to extend the drive. Fast forward to a decisive fourth quarter that ended with a field goal by Jason Myers, he side-stepped a defender trying to move all the way to his right for a sack and then raced to his right, firing a missile at Metcalf between three oncoming throws. defenders will turn 3rd-and-8 into a new series of downs. It was another strong outing for the veteran signal-caller, who completed north of 70 percent of his passes and averaged more than eight yards per attempt despite being under constant pressure.

Other Notable Performances

Despite averaging less than three yards per carry, Ken Walker III managed to force 10 missed tackles and had nearly 50 yards after contact while also adding 52 yards as a receiver for an 81.0 overall grade. Making the most of his five targets, Metcalf caught two explosive passes on third-and-long plays and finished with 59 yards receiving for an 80.0 rating. It was a struggle for Seattle’s entire offensive line on Sunday, but center Olu Oluwatimi didn’t allow any pressure on Smith’s 37 dropbacks and earned the highest grade (76.0) up front. On the other hand, Laken Tomlinson had a rough outing all around, missing multiple running blocks and getting bulldozed by LJ Collier for a sack, earning a 67.0 overall rating.

Narrowly missing the top five, Bryant’s sixth pick could have warranted inclusion on his own, but two missed tackles dropped his grade (83.0) slightly. Ernest Jones continued to make a difference on the Seattle defense, earning an 81.5 grade with 10 tackles and strong run defense. Flying safely all over the pitch, Julian Love missed a spectacular tackle on the sideline and completed two passes to reach 80.0 points. Josh Jobe, who allowed just two catches for 35 yards, was heavily involved against Marvin Harrison Jr. throughout the day, earning a 79.0 grade. Boye Mafe had a slightly erratic performance, tallying a sack on the first drive, but still had three pressures and earned a 77.0 grade.

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