It was fun for a second or two. But the Arizona Cardinals Week 7 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks carries little optimism for the 1-5 Cards, and fans' eyes may be wandering to the team's franchise quarterback and when he will be back on the field. But for now, it's Joshua Dobbs under center.
Sure, Dobbs was an integral part of this team's massive upset over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. But the momentum didn't carry very far, as the team has subsequently dropped three straight games, none of them particularly competitive. It sure feels like Dobbs is on borrowed time with Kyler Murray back practicing.
By contrast, the Seahawks were not far from extending their winning streak to four games before dropping an ugly contest to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-13, in Week 6. Now, Seattle gets to return home and hope to wash away the bad feelings from a winnable game they didn't win.
One team looks to remain in the hunt as a playoff contender; the other has a $230.5 million to clear up soon. To get you ready for this NFC West showdown, let's whip up some Cardinals Week 7 predictions; can't hurt, right?
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Cards' rushing attack takes a step back
RB James Conner was having a strong 2023 campaign before landing on IR last week due to a knee injury. Without their bell cow back, Arizona still managed a pretty effective ground game, albeit by committee. Keaontay Ingram, Damien Williams, and Emari Demercado combined for 87 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Don't expect even that much success against Pete Carroll's team. The Seahawks allow just 79.2 rushing yards per game to opposing teams, the fifth best mark in the NFL. Arizona's rushing attack ranks sixth in the NFL (141.0 yards per game), so we are looking at a strength vs. strength.
Expect Seattle to load up against the Cardinals' rushing attack and dare Dobbs to win them this game. If Conner was healthy, maybe there'd be a bit more optimism here. But without any game-changer in the backfield currently, Arizona will lost this battle.
Dobbs-Hollywood connect for a big score
If the ground game is being bottled up, what's a team to do but open up the passing game? Seattle reps the fifth-worst passing defense in the NFL. Why not embrace that weakness and try to make them pay via the air attack if you are Arizona?
And speaking of embracing, for Joshua Dobbs, he knows his time as this team's starting QB is dwindling. No reason to go out without making a little noise first. With nothing to lose and impressions to make for future looks as a starter in the league, Dobbs should let fly when he can and hunt for the big play.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown should like the sound of that. Brown already soaks up a ton of targets; he hasn't dipped below five in any game this season, and has 10+ in four of six Cardinals games. If ever there was a time to hit a 40-yard TD bomb for this duo, it's on Sunday. Make it happen fellas.
Seahawks sink Cardinals, win by 14+
This sure feels like a crossroads game for these two teams. The Seahawks were rolling before a disastrous run in the red zone sank their chances to beat the Bengals. But this team has a 3-2 record and a +16 point differential. In a home game, Seattle should view this as a week to get back on track in the NFC standings.
For the Cardinals, they've officially entered a weird limbo. Kyler Murray waits in the wings. Does a great game from Dobbs hold off inserting the former number-one overall pick back into the lineup? Does a good game? Or is this Murray's show when he's ready, regardless?
Maybe the team rallies around Dobbs one last time, and sends him off as their starter in style. More likely, in our opinion, is that the Cardinals play like a distracted unit that's already in the basement of the NFC West, with an eye on 2024 more than anything. That adds up to a comfortable loss.
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