Picks to Click: Seahawks at Cardinals
After nearly four months worth of heartbreak, the 2021 Seahawks will finally meet the end of their disappointing journey on Sunday. In a trip down to Arizona, Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson and company—uncertain of their futures in the Pacific Northwest—will look to close out this disappointing campaign with an intra-divisional win over the rival Cardinals. Doing so would ensure the Cardinals, who need the 49ers to defeat the Rams as well, don't win the NFC West title.
If Seattle manages to pull off the upset, these five players will have a hand in Arizona's undoing as it tunes up for the postseason. It's time for our final "picks to click" of the year.
RB Rashaad Penny
Putting up ridiculous numbers over his last four starts, Penny has reshaped the trajectory of his NFL career. He'll have a great opportunity to put an exclamation point on his recent breakout before heading into unrestricted free agency, going up against a Cardinals run defense that's currently tied for 19th in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (4.4). If the burst and physicality he's been playing with is present once more, it should be a long day for Arizona's front seven.
WR DK Metcalf
Following a near two-month lull, Metcalf and quarterback Russell Wilson have seemingly gotten back on the same page. Over the past two weeks, the superstar duo have connected on eight of 14 targets for 104 yards and four touchdowns—good for an EPA per target of 0.37, per TruMedia. The third-year receiver out of Ole Miss needs just 91 yards in this one to clinch his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Thankfully, the Cardinals present a secondary that's certainly talented, but one that has dealt with several bouts of inconsistency over the course of the year. Therefore, Metcalf should be able to head into a crucial offseason having built some of the "momentum" he spoke of in his Thursday press conference.
DE Darrell Taylor
Taylor's made some noise against the run, but he's been relatively quiet as a pass rusher lately. Looking to put a stamp on his pseudo-rookie season, the former second-round draft pick will get a crack at struggling Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries this weekend. Humphries has surrendered a whopping 16 combined pressures in his last three starts, though only one resulted in a sack. Nevertheless, Taylor should be in a favorable spot to re-take the team lead in sacks; defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Rasheem Green currently sit atop the board at 6.5 apiece to Taylor's 6.0.
DTs Poona Ford and Bryan Mone
With defensive tackles Al Woods and Myles Adams both on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Ford and Mone are going to get their work in and then some. The Cardinals' run game is in a rough spot at the moment, however, as running back Chase Edmonds (ribs/toe) has already been ruled out for Sunday's game while fellow ball carrier James Conner (heel) is questionable. Additionally, Pro Football Focus has graded Arizona as the worst run-blocking team in the NFL over the past four weeks (47.0), highlighted by interior players Rodney Hudson (51.5), Justin Pugh (52.0) and Max Garcia (62.3). Catching their opponent at a good time, Ford and Mone should eat down in the desert.
