8 Cardinals Winners and Losers From Ugly Seahawks Defeat

There was plenty of excitement for Minshew's first start in Arizona, though there was little pass protection. Minshew was sacked three times with plenty of more pressures — including an end-of-half play in the second quarter where he was strip-sacked and hurt before returning to action. It's hard for any offense to get going with backup linemen across the board, though Minshew had little time to find open receivers today with Seattle only rushing four.

Winner: Reggie Virgil

Injuries continue to decimate the Cardinals' WR room, and fifth-round rookie Reggie Virgil finally has gotten extended looks in recent weeks as a result. Virgil's overall stat line wasn't impressive today, though he did have an eye-opening toe-tap catch for 25 yards in the first half, flashing some of the potential he showed in college.

Loser: Health of DL

The Cardinals got Walter Nolen III back from injury but lost Roy Lopez today. Lopez specifically isn't a loser here for performance, as he's been a strong presence in the Cardinals' run-stopping game plan. However, he left with a toe injury in the first half and wasn't able to return. That was a tough blow for Arizona's defensive line, which eventually was worn out and saw rushing lanes paved for Seattle's running backs.

Winner: Cardinals Starting CB's

Max Melton was given a ridiculous pass interference call which set up a Seahawks touchdown, though he broke up multiple passes and was one of many Cardinals cornerbacks (Kalen King, Kei'Trel Clark) who were impressive in run support, making open field tackles and keeping Seattle's short game in check for most of the day.

Loser: LaFleur's Talk of Discipline

The Cardinals aren't inherently a penalty-ridden team this season, though there's been spots in the year where Arizona has been extremely undisciplined. Today was one of those days, as LaFleur's squad finished action with nine penalties for 97 yards, with numerous coming before the snap. LaFleur's consistently preached about playing clean and mental-error free, though that was anything but the case today and ultimately hurt the Cardinals in their hopes of a second half comeback.

Winner: Trey McBride

McBride didn't have a superstar day against Seattle's tough defense, though he did finish with a strong seven receptions on eight targets for 54 yards, which included an incredible fourth-down toe-drag reception late in the fourth quarter to keep the Cardinals' comeback hopes alive. McBride would have scored if Minshew delivered a better ball on their final drive.

Loser: Red Zone Offense

LaFleur told reporters this week the Cardinals didn't have red zone issues. How those tables turned, quickly. Arizona went 0-2 in the red zone, settling for a field goal on their first drive and stalling out for a turnover on downs on their second trip late in the fourth quarter. Seattle's defense deserves credit, though whether LaFleur wants to admit to those issues or not, there are problems here for Arizona.

Winner: Nick Rallis

The overall box score won't show this, but the Cardinals' defense played fairly well. They came in with a strong gameplan and executed well — it's a shame their offensive counterparts couldn't hold their end of the bargain today. Props to Rallis for keeping a potentially explosive Seahawks offense in check, especially on the road.