These 4 Players Can Wreck Cardinals Gameplan Tonight

The Arizona Cardinals need to contain these four players tonight.

Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) makes a 95 yard punt return for a touchdown during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Tonight is a big game for the Arizona Cardinals as they host the NFC West division rival Seattle Seahawks.

Fresh off a loss to the 49ers, the Cardinals are hoping to avoid an 0-2 start in division play to the young season. A two-game losing streak won't help matters as they aim to bounce back despite a short week to prepare.

If the Cardinals want to take down the Seahawks and get back on track, they need to be ready for some of Seattle's top players.

Yes, we are all aware of the team's superstars like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Riq Woolen, and Devon Witherspoon. However, it's the guys who are less talked about who could turn into deciding factors for this game, and that's who we're going to take a look at.

We all know the quarterback matters most in the sport, so we will preview Sam Darnold. The main focus will be on three other guys who you may or may not be aware could decide the fate of this game. Let's start with Darnold.

Sam Darnold

Darnold exploded last season with the Vikings under Kevin O'Connell, who may be the best quarterback-friendly coach in the league today. He's off to a strong start this year to prove it wasn't a flash in the pan, but rather a sign of things to come.

Still, Darnold isn't without his weaknesses, and his dependency on Smith-Njigba could be his undoing. The Cardinals must respect Darnold, or he could put up big numbers.

Tory Horton

Smith-Njigba is a one-man show, but his surrounding cast has made the occasional big play. Horton did as much last week in a two-touchdown performance (one receiving, one special teams). He has two scores on just five catches, and the Seahawks seem keen on getting him more involved moving forward.

As far as the Cardinals should be concerned, they can only hope to slow down and contain the damage Smith-Njigba does. The rest of the weapons in the passing game have yet to establish themselves fully, but Horton may be the closest to doing so.

He's a big-play threat whenever he touches the ball, so the Cardinals must be prepared for him to make something happen at any time.

Kenneth Walker III

Walker hasn’t had the start to the year he was hoping for with more downs than ups, but he’s still shown the ability to break off the big play at any moment. To be clear, Seattle's run game has been pitiful this year, averaging 3.3 yards per carry as a team.

Walker's 4.2 YPC is also deceptive, as his 163 rushing yards are boosted by a 20-yard long run. He has scored three touchdowns in the last two games to make up for it.

The Cardinals have done a good job thus far of limiting opposing run games, and the Seahawks don't pose a major threat in that department. If Arizona can continue to keep him in check, they can force Seattle to be one-dimensional on offense.

Although they are great at passing the ball, taking away an entire portion of their offense bodes well for them, so keying in on their only (slightly) effective contributor is crucial.

Byron Murphy II

Last year's first-round pick struggled with health a year ago, which led to inconsistencies and underwhelming production. So far that's not been the case this year, as Murphy has been a standout defender for a stout Seahawks' defensive front.

Murphy is currently the team leader in sacks with 2.5 and has paired with Leonard Williams to give Seattle a defense worthy of head coach Mike Macdonald's pedigree.

The Cardinals' offensive line has flat out been bad this season, and there's no getting around that. Murphy could prove to be the game-wrecker that dooms Arizona as they struggle to establish an even slightly potent offense.

The entire Seattle defensive line will be causing havoc, but Murphy is playing great football so far.