Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Well it’s worth noting Wilson returned last week and looked rusty, though he wasn’t hesitant to run. He figures to improve his passing with each week. DK Metcalf has been plagued throughout the year with a foot injury and last week hurt his hip. His performance in the last few weeks has been marginal except for one long TD. He’s certainly not at his best. The Seattle O-line has been badly beaten up and looks to be shorthanded this week. Frankly the receiving corp has not lived up to expectations. The TEs have been useless sign Olsen retired. In fact Seattle tried to get Ertz, but the Cards outbid them.
The Seattle defense has been odd this year. They’ve kept the Seahawks in most games by allowing few points, though they’ve given up plenty of yards. Seattle has drafted well on defense. Tre Brown, a fourth round pick, has been quite a bit more effective than Wilson. Jordyn Brooks has been a force at LB against the pass as well as the run. Seattle is the 5th ranked defense at stopping red zone scoring. They bend but don’t often break. Overall the defense is vulnerable but has made quite a few big plays. It’s true the Cards are +8 in turnovers, Seahawks are only +3, but their turnovers have been well timed.
IMO the Cards are the better team with or without Murray (my best source thinks he plays but not Hopkins). So how do the Cards win. On offense they need to use Ertz. He is still an exceptional threat and if Kingsbury can figure out how to use a TE, he can keep the Seattle defense spread thin enough to break them. Next the Cards must recapture their red zone mojo. Of course Ertz can play a role here. If The Cards start a series inside the 10, I’d use Streveler over McCoy. Streveler adds plays to the options Kingsbury has and is reasonably effective on short passes. This forces Seattle to keep strength in their line, weakening their edge defense and opening more end zone space. My last thought is about the run game. The Cards have to keep the defense honest by running. The Seahawks D-line is solid but the Cards need to keep pressuring them. Kingsbury’s creativity would help. Some motion, including jet sweeps and delays could work. I would like to see a middle screen or a shuttle pass to disrupt the rush. The Cards’ run game has been vanilla so far this year. Time to change that.
On defense the Cards need to pressure Wilson. Don’t be afraid to blitz. Rushes must stay in their lanes. Since Hicks is not strong in coverage hold him in the middle to guard against Wilson using that escape route. Wilson is not at full strength. I’d test him to see if he can throw accurately on the run. If the Cards can neutralize Wilson, the Seahawks have no chance.
The Seahawks will put up a fight but the Cards are the better team. This is not the Seattle we’ve seen in the past. If the Cards don’t give them points, they’ll have trouble earning them. I’m expecting the Cards will be up for this game. I imagine it will be decided in the fourth quarter and the Cards simply need to want it more.
The Seattle defense has been odd this year. They’ve kept the Seahawks in most games by allowing few points, though they’ve given up plenty of yards. Seattle has drafted well on defense. Tre Brown, a fourth round pick, has been quite a bit more effective than Wilson. Jordyn Brooks has been a force at LB against the pass as well as the run. Seattle is the 5th ranked defense at stopping red zone scoring. They bend but don’t often break. Overall the defense is vulnerable but has made quite a few big plays. It’s true the Cards are +8 in turnovers, Seahawks are only +3, but their turnovers have been well timed.
IMO the Cards are the better team with or without Murray (my best source thinks he plays but not Hopkins). So how do the Cards win. On offense they need to use Ertz. He is still an exceptional threat and if Kingsbury can figure out how to use a TE, he can keep the Seattle defense spread thin enough to break them. Next the Cards must recapture their red zone mojo. Of course Ertz can play a role here. If The Cards start a series inside the 10, I’d use Streveler over McCoy. Streveler adds plays to the options Kingsbury has and is reasonably effective on short passes. This forces Seattle to keep strength in their line, weakening their edge defense and opening more end zone space. My last thought is about the run game. The Cards have to keep the defense honest by running. The Seahawks D-line is solid but the Cards need to keep pressuring them. Kingsbury’s creativity would help. Some motion, including jet sweeps and delays could work. I would like to see a middle screen or a shuttle pass to disrupt the rush. The Cards’ run game has been vanilla so far this year. Time to change that.
On defense the Cards need to pressure Wilson. Don’t be afraid to blitz. Rushes must stay in their lanes. Since Hicks is not strong in coverage hold him in the middle to guard against Wilson using that escape route. Wilson is not at full strength. I’d test him to see if he can throw accurately on the run. If the Cards can neutralize Wilson, the Seahawks have no chance.
The Seahawks will put up a fight but the Cards are the better team. This is not the Seattle we’ve seen in the past. If the Cards don’t give them points, they’ll have trouble earning them. I’m expecting the Cards will be up for this game. I imagine it will be decided in the fourth quarter and the Cards simply need to want it more.
