Seahawks Instant Reaction: Seattle Sports on 19-9 win over Arizona

The Seahawks have bounced back.

The defense had its best showing of the season, keeping quarterback Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals completely out of the end zone in a 19-9 win at Lumen Field. The victory brings Seattle to 3-3 and into a tie for first place in the NFC West.

Just like we all expected.

Recap: Defense steps up, late TD helps Seahawks beat Cards 19-9

As we do every after every Hawks game, we have collected the instant reactions of the voices of Seattle Sports to the win. See what they have to say below, and tune in on 710 AM or streaming on the Seattle Sports app all day Monday as they break down the game even more in-depth beginning with Brock and Salk at 6 a.m. and The Pete Carroll Show with the Seahawks head coach at 9:30.

Mike Salk – Brock and Salk (6-10 a.m.)

In a game that looked nothing like the first five weeks of the season, the Seahawks let their youth go wild.

Everything started with the defense, and everything on defense started with rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen, who seems to be determined to get his hands on everything, everywhere, all the time. This week it was a pick and a fumble recovery, and it was perfect complement to a defense that allowed no more than a field goal and made four fourth-down stops.

Rookie CB Tariq Woolen proving Seahawks struck fifth-round gold again

I don’t know whether that is sustainable – the Cardinals’ offense is a mess, with a quarterback that is inaccurate and makes suspect decisions and a head coach that might not be cut out for the NFL – but if the Seahawks found something that they can carry forward, it would be a huge step for a team with an offense that has played well enough to win nearly every game this season.

And while Woolen led the defense, rookie running back Kenneth Walker III was all that and more for the offense. Only a holding penalty kept him from 100 yards in his first start.

But the story here is the defense. There are still so many ifs, but after five weeks of looking inept, they did enough to provide hope. And that might be the most important thing they could do.

Stacy Rost – Bump and Stacy (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Look, whatever critiques you have ready to levy toward a slower-moving game (it’s not going to be a shootout every week!), if you keep your opponent out of the end zone, consider it a successful outing. And that’s what the beleaguered Seahawks defense did against the Cardinals on Sunday.

It wasn’t a quickly won game. The Cardinals’ offense moved down the field with ease on its first drive, with two explosive plays to convert third downs. They finished with more yards than Seattle and possessed the ball for more time. Still, the defense kept them out of the end zone. And the Seahawks did it again on another trip inside the 20s. They kept them mostly inefficient on third down after the first quarter. And importantly, they stifled Arizona’s greatest weapon when it mattered most – Kyler Murray rushed for 100 yards but was sacked six times.

Finally, once again it was a big week for Seattle’s youngest defenders. Nickel cornerback Coby Bryant forced a fumble and Tariq Woolen snagged his fourth interception in as many games. Woolen became the seventh player in franchise history to record an interception in four consecutive games and tied Richard Sherman and John Harris for second place in franchise history for interceptions by a rookie. One more will have him tied with Earl Thomas and Michael Boulware, and two more will set a new franchise record.

Bob Stelton – Wyman and Bob

The Hawks made some improvements on defense in defeating their surprisingly bad division rival, the Arizona Cardinals.

While Seattle still allowed 144 total rushing yards, it shut down the passing attack of Kyler Murray, allowing just 222 passing yards for no touchdowns and an interception.

The Seahawks also forced two turnovers, sacked Murray six times, and we watched Tariq Woolen come away with another interception. That’s four games in a row with a pick for Woolen, who’s quickly looking like an absolute gem that they acquired with a fifth-round pick. Sound familiar?

The star of the offense today was rookie Ken Walker III. In his first game as the primary running back with Rashaad Penny out, Walker rushed for 97 yards and a TD on 21 carries. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about what he brings to the table.

It was great to see that two of the standout players on the day were two of this year’s draft picks. And all of a sudden, the Seahawks are 3-3 and in the thick of it in what is a terrible start to the season for the NFC.

Dave Wyman – Wyman and Bob

Mike Lefko – Wyman and Bob

We just wanted to see improvement, but the Seahawks’ defense went ahead and won the game itself. It was an inauspicious start, but after allowing an opening 10-play, 76-yard drive, which only resulted in a field goal, the defense was stout in denying any further and consequential damage.

Kyler Murray is at his best when he can get out of the pocket and extend plays, which he was unable to do for much of the game. Credit the defense for keeping him in check, forcing uncomfortable throws and not letting Murray beat them with his legs. The Seahawks’ front generated pressure to the tune of six sacks and got off the field when Arizona needed to extend drives, keeping the Cardinals to 4 of 16 on third down and 1 of 5 on fourth down.

We’re also seeing consistent growth from the rookie defensive backs, Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen, who were both in on a key fumble that ended a Cardinals drive deep into Seahawks territory. Woolen also made a game-sealing interception, giving him one in four straight games, and with improving coverage skills, he looks like a bonafide superstar in the making along with an absolute draft steal. Plus, it has to go down as an unquestioned win when you don’t allow an offensive touchdown all game.

On the other side, the offense wasn’t at its best but showed it was capable of moving the football when it absolutely needed to do so with a seven-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended in a touchdown, which was needed after the Cardinals had closed to within three. Ken Walker showed he can handle the workload of a starting running back as he bludgeoned his way through the Arizona defense to the tune of 21 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown.

At the end of the day, the Seahawks are tied for first in the NFC West. That’s a good place to be.

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