Bump: A major key to Seahawks slowing down Arizona’s rushing attack
Nov 22, 2024, 2:30 PM
Arizona QB Kyler Murray is tackled by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant in a 2022 game. (Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
(Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks have made major strides on defense over their past two games.
Macdonald previews Seahawks’ pivotal NFC West clash vs Cardinals
After ranking near the bottom of the league in most defensive categories over the first half of the season, Seattle limited the Los Angeles Rams to just 13 offensive points and 283 total yards in regulation during a Nov. 3 overtime loss. The Seahawks then followed with another strong showing in Sunday’s dramatic win over San Francisco, holding the 49ers to season lows of 17 points and 277 total yards.
This week, they face a unique challenge when they host dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray and the first-place Arizona Cardinals in a key NFC West clash.
Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick, is having the best season of his career. The speedy 5-foot-10 playmaking QB has been ultra-efficient as a passer, completing 69.2% of his passes for 2,058 yards, 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions. And he has burned defenses with his legs, rushing for 371 yards and four scores. He ranks second in ESPN’s QBR metric, fourth in rushing yards among QBs and fifth in completion rate.
Led by Murray and veteran running back James Conner, Arizona ranks fifth in the NFL with 149.4 rushing yards per game. What position group on Seattle’s defense will be especially key to slowing down the Cardinals’ dangerous ground attack? Former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus answered that question during Wednesday’s Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
“It’s gotta be these edge rushers,” Bumpus said. “And the reason why I say the edge rushers is because Kyler Murray and this offense runs that zone option, so he’s gonna read that end. If he’s running a zone left, he’s looking at the right edge and saying, ‘What is Boye Mafe or (Derick) Hall gonna do? Are they crashing down? (If so), I’m gonna keep that thing and I am gone.’ And we know that if he gets to that third level – that safety level – the chances of him breaking off a big one are really, really big.”
Murray’s game-breaking running ability played a major role in two of Arizona’s victories. He ran for a 50-yard touchdown on a read-option keeper in a 24-23 win over the 49ers in Week 5 and then scrambled for a 44-yard TD in a 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7. Murray has 13 runs of at least 10 yards this season, including five of 20-plus yards.
“He is getting better at turning his back to the defense in his play-actions and hiding the football, and that allows him to be better on the bootlegs,” Bumpus said. “He’s got the green light to run whenever he wants to. And they design some run plays. So those edges gotta be on point. You cannot let Kyler Murray get outside.”
As Bumpus explained, a lot of that will depend on Seahawks edge rushers Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones remaining disciplined in their assignments – especially on zone-option plays.
“They have to be disciplined,” Bumpus said. “Stay put and make him hand the football off. Sometimes not making the play is making the play. Hand the football off and let (inside backers) Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight clean it up.”
Hear the full Four Down Territory segment at this link or listen to the audio player in this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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