Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals: Key Matchups to Watch in Week 7

Looking to get back on the winning track after a disappointing road loss got away from them in Cincinnati, Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks will return home to host a pesky Arizona Cardinals squad in their second NFC West contest of the season.

As the Seahawks aim to keep pace with the 49ers in the division race by landing a fourth win, which matchups will have the greatest bearing on which rival captures a win on Sunday? Here's a look at six positional battles to watch closely at Lumen Field.

*All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

--Seahawks cornerbacks Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Tre Brown versus Cardinals receivers Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and Michael Wilson: While Arizona endured an exodus of veteran talent during the offseason, including releasing All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a cap-saving measure, the team still has solid talent on the outside led by the explosive Brown. The former first-round pick out of Oklahoma ranks first on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns through five games and has the speed to take the top off a defense. While Moore has had a relatively quiet start to the season, he can be a dynamic force after the catch and has played well in Seattle in the past, while Wilson has been a revelation as a third-round pick averaging almost 18 yards per catch and scoring two touchdowns so far in his rookie campaign.

With three very different receivers capable of doing damage, the onus will fall on Woolen, Witherspoon, and Brown to try to slow them down. Last year, Woolen had great success against Brown, including picking off Kyler Murray in the fourth quarter covering a deep ball down the sideline to ice a Week 6 home win. Witherspoon should see the majority of Seattle's snaps in the nickel role, which means he should see a ton of Moore, who leads Arizona with 121 snaps out of the slot this year. Wilson has also played a fair amount inside, creating a far different matchup for the rookie defender at 6-2, 215 pounds as a big-bodied, athletic slot target. Brown should see a good mix of Brown and Wilson on the outside, pitting him against two speedy receivers with unique skill sets.

--Seahawks tackles Charles Cross and Jake Curhan versus Cardinals edge rushers Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, and Victor Dimukeje: On paper, Arizona has struggled to make quarterbacks uncomfortable, ranking dead last in the NFL in pressure percentage according to Pro Football Reference. But Collins has made a smooth transition from off ball linebacker to playing mostly off the edge, producing 2.5 sacks, and his athleticism at 260 pounds could pose a bit of a problem for Seattle. Gardeck, who has been a special teams ace for several seasons, has thrived as the new starting strongside linebacker with a team-high four sacks, while Dimukeje has 14 pressures on just 85 pass rushing reps and has been the team's most efficient rusher.

On the flip side, Cross showed a bit of rust in his first game action in a month against the Bengals and Sunday's contest will present a prime opportunity for him to take a positive step forward. What remains a mystery, however, is who will be playing right tackle. Curhan sprained his ankle in Cincinnati and missed practice time this week before receiving a questionable designation, while veteran Jason Peters wasn't elevated off the practice squad. If Curhan can't go for the Seahawks, Stone Forsythe likely will start in his place, but Raiqwon O'Neal and McClendon Curtis could also be options, creating a matchup the Cardinals could potentially exploit.

--Seahawks safeties Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, and Julian Love versus Cardinals tight ends Zach Ertz and Trey McBride: In addition to having a quality receiving corps, the Cardinals also have a fun playmaking tandem at tight end with a savvy veteran in Ertz and a blossoming second-year weapon in McBride. With 36 catches between them, both players have over 140 receiving yards through six games, with Ertz ranking third on the team in yardage and McBride ranking fourth. At this stage of his career, Ertz doesn't create chunk plays in the passing game like he used to, but he's still a reliable chain mover and though he only has one touchdown so far, he remains a viable red zone option. McBride, a 2022 second-round pick out of Colorado State, has turned seven of his 12 receptions into first downs and is averaging nearly 12 yards per reception, offering a bit more explosiveness than his veteran counterpart.

With Joshua Dobbs likely to lean on his tight ends as he has during the first six games of the season, Seattle will counter with a fully healthy Adams, who performed well in his first full game in more than a calendar year in Cincinnati. The physical defender was brought to the Pacific Northwest in part to handle talented tight ends in the NFC West and he should see frequent matchups against Ertz and McBride. The same can be said for Love, who now finds himself in a situational role as a third safety. The free agent signee has had some trouble with tight ends this year, giving up a 30-yard reception to Tyler Higbee in Week 1 and a 23-yard catch to Sam LaPorta in Week 2. Diggs may also get a few coverage snaps in the box or slot with Love playing deep safety, potentially positioning him to get a few reps against tight ends as well.

--Seahawks running backs Ken Walker III and DeeJay Dallas versus Cardinals linebackers Kyzir White and Josh Woods: Through six weeks, Arizona has had its share of problems stopping the run, currently allowing the seventh-most rushing yards (800), fourth-most rushing touchdowns (eight), and eighth-highest yards per carry (4.5) in the NFL. Coming to the desert as a free agent to team back up with coach Jonathan Gannon after the two worked together in Philadelphia, White's raw numbers look good, as he has racked up 55 tackles and five tackles for loss. But the 234-pound linebacker can be pushed around when blockers get to him at the second level and per PFF, his average depth of tackle in 4.6 yards, which ranks 39th out of 52 qualified defenders at his position. Woods hasn't played much, but he has missed three tackles on just 49 run defense plays.

Given how light the Cardinals are in the middle and the injuries the team currently is dealing with, the Seahawks should be well-positioned to get their ground game untracked, even without rookie Zach Charbonnet. Arizona has allowed 16 runs of 10 or more yards, the seventh-most in the league, which presents an appetizing matchup for Walker, who ranks ninth among backs with five designed runs of 15 or more yards this season. With Dallas set to play an increased role and offering a strong pass-catching background, the passing game could also be an area of focus for Seattle getting the ball to their backs, as Gannon's defense has surrendered a league-worst four receiving touchdowns to backs this year.

--Seahawks defensive tackles Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, and Mario Edwards versus Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt, guards Will Hernandez and Dennis Daley: For a third straight game, the Seahawks will face off against an opponent dealing with significant issues protecting the quarterback from the interior. Starting guard Elijah Wilkinson, who was ruled out on Friday due to injury, has allowed the fifth-most pressures among guards in the NFL (18) along with three sacks. Daley, his expected replacement, yielded 12 sacks and a whopping 52 pressures for the Titans in 2022. Froholdt has had his own problems at the pivot position, giving up 10 pressures and three quarterback hits through six games. Surprisingly, Hernandez has been the bright spot, as the veteran known more for his run blocking only has allowed nine pressures and a sack thus far.

Emerging as an unexpected point of strength for Seattle, the interior defensive line should be able to continue feasting after big games in Cincinnati and New York. Jones looks to be finding his groove after a somewhat quiet start to his Seahawks career, as he registered a sack and a tackle for loss against the Bengals, while Reed already has eclipsed his sack total from a year ago and has seven quarterback hits to go with stout run defense. Edwards has also been a surprising contributor in the pass rushing department with 12 pressures and a sack through five games. That trio along with rookie nose tackle Cameron Young and Myles Adams could be poised to do ample damage with the 12s helping the cause by creating snap count issues for the opponent thanks to deafening noise.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jake Bobo versus Cardinals cornerbacks Marco Wilson and Kei'Trel Clark: Under normal circumstances, this matchup would stand out as a major mismatch for the Cardinals, who lost standout starter Byron Murphy in free agency and didn't do much to replace him, leaning on journeyman Antonio Hamilton and Clark, a rookie from Louisville, to fill the void. But with Metcalf's status being uncertain with a hip injury and him truly being a game-time decision, the Seahawks may be down one of their biggest stars, which obviously would be a sigh of relief for Gannon and his coaching staff. Schematically, the opponent can now shift more attention towards bracketing Lockett, who has had some of his biggest games against the Cardinals in the past, with double coverage without having to worry about Metcalf's big play ability.

With that said, if Metcalf doesn't suit up and misses the first regular season game of his career on Sunday, the stage could be set for Smith-Njigba to finally enjoy his breakout performance. Arizona likely won't have safety Jalen Thompson healthy and with Hamilton already ruled out, an already thin secondary will have to have someone step up to handle duties covering the slot, creating a prime opportunity for the first-round pick to exploit attacking the middle of the field. In addition, Bobo has gradually been taking on a bigger role on offense and if Metcalf isn't playing, Geno Smith may also be inclined to look his direction more often with his 6-4, 207-pound size being a matchup problem for Arizona's smaller corners outside and in the slot.