5 Matchups to Watch in Seahawks Week 11 Rematch vs. Cardinals

Just four weeks after their first thrilling overtime encounter, the Seahawks and Cardinals will rekindle their NFC West rivalry in a critical Week 11 rematch on Thursday Night Football.

While NFL teams generally hate playing on short rest, quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks will be anxious to return to the field following an ugly, turnover-filled 23-16 loss to the Rams on Sunday. As for the Cardinals, they'll be arriving in the Pacific Northwest riding a wave of momentum after Kyler Murray improbably connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a game-winning Hail Mary pass to stun the Bills.

As both teams battle for the top spot in the NFL's most competitive division, keep an eye on these five matchups at the newly-named Lumen Field.

--Cardinals receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, and Christian Kirk versus Seahawks cornerbacks Tre Flowers, D.J. Reed, and Ugo Amadi: There's no way to sugarcoat this - on paper, the Seahawks are at a monumental disadvantage in this matchup with Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar both sidelined by injuries. Flowers replaced Griffin in the first matchup after he exited with a concussion and Murray promptly took a deep shot against him to Hopkins, only to sail the pass over the wide open receiver's head. Dunbar also gave up a long touchdown pass to Hopkins in the first half. Murray has to be licking his lips at the thought of Flowers being matched up against the perennial All-Pro as well as the undersized Reed being in the lineup to defend against him and Kirk. That would also be dismissing the size mismatch Fitzgerald has working out of the slot against Amadi. So what would constitute a successful night for an injury-marred cornerback group? If Flowers, Reed, and Amadi can limit explosive plays downfield and yards after the catch off screens and quick passes to help turn a few drives from seven points into three points with field goals, then they have done their job.

--Seahawks running backs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde versus Cardinals linebackers Jordan Hicks, Haasan Reddick, and De'Vondre Campbell: Whether based off statistics or the eye test, Seattle's offense simply hasn't been the same since Carson left late in the second quarter of the first game between these two teams with a foot injury. Before departing, he had rushed for 32 yards on just five carries and Arizona's linebackers didn't seem interested in tackling the bruising ball carrier at the second level. Later in the same game, Hyde tweaked his hamstring, and both he and Carson have missed the past three games with Seahawks running backs rushing for 3.2 yards per carry in their absence. To take pressure off of Wilson, having Hyde and/or Carson back will provide a major boost against a Cardinals defense that has allowed 4.5 yards per carry and can be exploited on the ground by a physical rushing attack. If Seattle can run the ball with great success, it will be much tougher for Arizona to send some of their exotic blitz packages after Wilson when he drops back to pass, opening up their vertical passing game.

--Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and running back Kenyan Drake versus Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks and safety Jamal Adams: On pace for 1,000 rushing yards and already scoring 10 rushing touchdowns, Murray has had a similar impact to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in his second season steering the Cardinals top-ranked rushing attack. The Seahawks know all too well what he's capable of, as he produced a five-yard touchdown run and 67 total yards on the ground in the first matchup between these two teams. Given Arizona's propensity for running read option plays as RPOs (run-pass options), eye discipline will once again be key for Seattle's linebackers, who will have to decipher plays quickly and help set the edge. Look for Brooks to receive ample snaps in this game due to his impressive sideline-to-sideline speed - he chased down Murray for a tackle for loss last month. If there's a wild card to this, the Seahawks will also have Adams this time around after he missed the Week 7 contest with a groin injury. The star safety could be used in spy at times against Murray while also being blitzed frequently looking to get a few quarterback hits on the elusive quarterback, who wasn't hit once in the first game.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and David Moore versus Cardinals cornerbacks Patrick Peterson, Byron Murphy, and Dre Kirkpatrick: When these teams clashed four weeks ago, Peterson once again held his own against Metcalf, limiting the star receiver to two receptions for 23 yards. But can he do it again? He has been up and down throughout the season, easily posting his highest coverage grade against the Seahawks per Pro Football Focus. He's coming off a game in which he allowed two touchdowns in coverage against the Bills and his aggressive nature can be used against him. After avoiding Jalen Ramsey last week, Wilson has to take his shots against the wily veteran to get the ball to his dynamic weapon in Metcalf. As for Lockett, he created major problems for Murphy and Kirkpatrick with 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions. He will be hard-pressed to replicate those numbers, but he and Moore should both have opportunities against a secondary that hasn't played near as well in recent weeks and has been vulnerable to the big play.

--Seahawks defensive ends Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa, and Rasheem Green versus Cardinals tackles D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum: Though some of it was due to the game plan trying to prevent Murray from getting outside the pocket or scrambling, Seattle recorded just two pressures on the quarterback in five quarters of play last month. The team also failed to generate a single quarterback hit against him. That game proved to be the final straw before general manager John Schneider traded for Dunlap the ensuing week to bolster the pass rush. In two games as a Seahawk, he already has three quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, and a sack. Though Humphries and Beachum are reliable starting NFL tackles, Dunlap should be able to win with power and finesse against them as a pass rusher and his incredible length could be a major asset disrupting passing lanes against the generously listed 5-foot-10 Murray. Green could also be a player worth watching at the base defensive end spot, as he didn't play in the first matchup and sacked Murray in a road win last season. Getting a viable rotational rusher in Mayowa back healthy will be key in this game as well.

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