Druin's Dozen: Can Cardinals Beat Seahawks in Week 2?

Mike LaFleur's offense sure looks good, doesn't it? Arizona won the possession battle and put up 26 points in the process. It seemed like, for perhaps the first time in forever, their attack was balanced through both the ground game and the passing attack. LaFleur sure has his work cut out for him this week against Seattle, but so far, so good with Arizona's attack.

Talk Around Jacoby Brissett's Future Needs to Chill... For Now

After one game, there's been some talk around town of the Cardinals potentially extending Brissett past this season in hopes of a career arc similar to former veteran quarterbacks in Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner. That's not out of question, but so much can change between now and the end of the season. Let's let things play out just a bit — we remember Arizona being 6-4 entering their bye week in 2024 before seeing what happened.

The Cardinals Talked About Mike Macdonald Like He's The Boogeyman

The Seahawks' defense only seems to have gotten better from their Super Bowl campaign last season, and practically everybody we talked to in Arizona's facility this week spoke extremely highly of Macdonald — like he was the boogeyman. Macdonald's well qualified for that title, however — this Seattle defense is the best in the league for a reason, and Macdonald's ability to scheme on the defensive side of the ball is top tier.

Don't Be Surprised If This Game Comes Down to Final Drive...

It's early in the season. It's an NFC West battle. LaFleur is familiar with the Seahawks thanks to prior time in the division. Seattle's without Sam Darnold this week. All of that's to say, while Arizona might not be favorites, this isn't leaning towards a blowout, either. Did I ultimately pick the Seahawks to win? I sure did, but I think the Cardinals just might be shrinking the gap on teams ahead of them.

NFL Tweet of the Week

It didn't take long thanks to Thursday Night Football, where Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing (you remember him!) and the rest of the team was a talking point after Detroit's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

We love a good callback reference to the prior week, too.

Bold Prediction For Cardinals vs Seahawks Week 2

Both teams are held to 20 or less points on Sunday. We'll see how much film the Cardinals are able to use on Drew Lock, though I'm not quite convinced Arizona's defense is capable of limiting Seattle to 14 points like they did their prior opponent. On the flip side, the Seahawks' defense is so incredibly tough, and it might just be too much of an ask for LaFleur to really get his unit going on Sunday.

Marvin Harrison Jr. Will Be Fine, But Expectations Need Tempered

We did a lengthy breakdown this week on Harrison's lack of involvement last Sunday. Long story short, it wasn't for lack of performance and it was much more indicative of LaFleur's system. However, it's clear Harrison isn't going to put up the monster numbers many would expect with Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and even Jeremiyah Love eating into the work. He's continually seeing attention from defenses and as long as that's happening + others are producing, things will be just fine.

Would Love to See Cardinals Sack Masters Come Alive vs Seahawks

Calling Josh Sweat and Walter Nolen III to the dance floor! Both were relatively quiet in Week 1, as Sweat just wasn't able to reach the quarterback while Nolen was busy fighting triple teams. Still, the Cardinals can only be at their best when their biggest names produce, and what a better week to get going than a tough test against the defending Super Bowl champs?

Cardinals Rivalry Uniforms Are Truly The Best

The Cardinals are set to make their home debut in their coveted rivalry uniforms, and boy I get excited every time these uniforms are rolled out. Truth be told I don't hate Arizona's current slate of uniforms like some do, though the desert look mixed with the red and the state flag on the side is just incredible. Nike sometimes can botch those special uniforms (like we've seen elsewhere), though they hit the nail on the head with Arizona's looks. The field with the state flag in the end zone is tremendous, too.

Other Week 2 NFL Matchup I Can't Wait to Watch

Monday Night Football: Los Angeles Rams vs New York Giants. The Cardinals get a quick preview of their Week 4 opponent under the bright lights of primetime football while we all get to see Aaron Donald return for the first time in forever. How do the Giants stack up against the NFC West? What on earth should we expect from Donald in his return? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z.

A Loss Won't Diminish Cardinals' Season ...

If the Cardinals indeed aren't able to get the job done and fall to 1-1, we need to avoid the overreactions early in the season. I know, it's a tough task, though I think any Cardinals fan would have taken 1-1 after two weeks regardless of how it's sliced. It's a tough test against a tough team — losses tend to happen in these spots.

... But A Win Would Send A Message

Starting out 2-0, no matter how, is impressive in the NFL. The Cardinals were often overlooked after their Week 1 win against the Chargers, though a win on Sunday would send a massive statement to the rest of the league. Forget about records, playoffs, whatever the case may be — Arizona just might have something in Mike LaFleur, and maybe they're not the laughingstock many projected them to be. The Cardinals began last year 2-0, though this would be an entirely different feeling entering Week 3 if they string together another win.