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In the Arizona Cardinals Week 9 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, the home Cardinals are a desperate team. They are 3-5, two games behind the Seahawks in the NFC West, with a head-to-head loss to their rival in Week 6. Ahead of this crucial Cardinals-Seahawks game, here are a few bold Cardinals Week 9 predictions.
The Cardinals have simply been one of the streakiest, most inconsistent teams in the NFL this season. When Kyler Murray is running around and making plays, and the defense is showing off its speed, the team looks excellent. However, there are too many mental mistakes and sloppy plays — especially early in games — that make the good Cardinals a rare sight.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Seahawks, who are one of the most sound and efficient teams in the NFL. They do all the little things right, don’t make the big mistakes, and force the other team into unforced errors.
This is a massive NFC West game that can either tighten the division race or start to put some distance between the pretenders and the contenders. With that in mind, here are a few bold Cardinals Week 9 predictions.
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4. The Cardinals will give up a first-half lead
This may no longer qualify as a bold Cardinals Week 9 prediction, but Arizona will fall behind in the first half of their game vs. the Seahawks.
Outside of the Cardinals Week 7 game vs. the New Orleans Saints — when the Cards' defense had two first-half pick-sixes just over a minute apart — the team has been down at halftime in every game.
This is a bad trend that is a big part of the reason the Cardinals are currently in last place in the NFC West.
What’s worse is that the team has also put together some massive second halves, but often, the deficit is just too much. Unfortunately, the team hasn’t seemed to do anything to correct this issue, and will likely fall behind again in the Cardinals-Seahawks game.
This certainly doesn’t guarantee a loss, it just makes a win that much more difficult.
3. Cardinals defense slows down Kenneth Walker III
The Cardinals defense hasn’t been good this season by any means. In fact, it ranks 31st in the NFL in points allowed, second only to the lowly Detroit Lions. The silver lining here is that the pass defense has been much worse than the run defense.
The Cardinals pass D has allowed 2,018 yards, the fifth-worst in the league this season. However, the unit has only given up 881 yards on the ground, which is in the upper-middle of the pack (13th) this year.
We all know that Pete Carroll and his team want to run the ball as much as possible in this Cardinals-Seahawks tilt. Rookie Kenneth Walker III has become a sensation, rushing for 403 yards in his last four games.
However, the bold Cardinals Week 9 prediction here is that the defense will slow the rookie rusher down and force Geno Smith to beat them through the air. Smith has been excellent this season, so this isn’t a fool-proof plan, but it is the best shot the Cardinals have of keeping the game close and winning in the end.
2. DeAndre Hopkins is the difference-maker
Yeah @DeAndreHopkins is BACK.
📺: #AZvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/Tc7CqisiVw pic.twitter.com/9UQJmxSE8U— NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2022
Above is a lot of talk about what’s happened in the Cardinals' first eight games of the season and why, if these trends continue, Arizona is in trouble.
In the Week 9 Cardinals-Seahawks matchup, there is one big difference, though, between the early-season Cards and the current team. And his name is DeAndre Hopkins.
After serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, Hopkins is back, and he’s already making a difference for the Cardinals. In just two games, D-Hop has 27 targets, 22 catches, 262 yards, and a touchdown.
Those are No. 1 WR numbers, and there is no doubt Hopkins is a No. 1 WR. This is huge for Kyler Murray, who has struggled at times this season without a go-to downfield threat.
In the Cardinals Week 9 matchup, Hopkins will again prove that he is one of the ultimate difference-makers in the NFL. Murray will continue to pump him the ball, and Hopkins will continue his streak of double-digit catches for 100-plus yards.
The bold Cardinals Week 9 prediction for Hopkins’ stat line in 12 catches, 125 yards, and two touchdowns.
1. Cardinals 24, Seahawks 20
The Cardinals are still one of the most frustrating teams in the NFL. And with Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury now openly feuding on the sidelines at times, they may be one of the most dysfunctional franchises as well.
You can say all that about the 2022 Cardinals. But you can’t say they’re not talented.
With Hopkins back, the defense playing (a little) better, and Murray finally getting past the new Call of Duty release weekend, the Cards can be a dangerous team. The Seahawks are doing what they are doing with a little bit of smoke and mirrors this season, so a letdown game could be in the works, too.
That’s why this seems like a prime game for the Cardinals to pull an upset and tighten the NFC West race for the back half of the season.
