The Seattle Seahawks notched their fifth straight win after they defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 31-21, on the road in Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season. At 6-3, the Seahawks solidify their hold on solo first place in the NFC West. Here we will look at Geno Smith and three other Seattle Seahawks heroes most responsible for their Week 9 win vs. the Cardinals.

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith guided the Seahawks to a massive win over the Cardinals on Sunday. He played just well enough for them to win, especially after making his greatest blunder of the season in the second half.

With 9:18 remaining in the third quarter, Smith threw a pick-six to give the Cardinals a 14-10 lead. Seattle then reacted and grabbed control of the game, owing to Smith's leadership. On the subsequent drive, the Seahawks quarterback went 6-for-7 for 54 yards and a touchdown. It was a 9-yard connection to Tyler Lockett that gave Seattle a 17-14 lead that they would not lose anymore.

Let us look at Geno Smith and three other Seattle Seahawks heroes most responsible for their Week 9 win vs. the Cardinals.

4. WR Noah Fant

Seahawks receiver Noah Fant, who came in with the Russell Wilson deal, has had a quiet season at tight end. That was not the case in this game.

Fant set a season-best with 96 receiving yards, which included a 51-yard catch-and-run on a short toss from Smith. That helped the Seahawks ice the game after a late Arizona score trimmed the advantage to single digits.

Now with nine games under coordinator Shane Waldron's system, maybe Fant is acquiring a better grasp of the system. We hope to see more of this from him as we project there will be an emphasis on getting him the ball in the second half of the season.

3. LB Uchenna Nwosu

Seattle's defense continues to be on the up and up, especially after a lackluster first month of the season. Yes, there were some shaky moments early on, especially as Cardinals QB Kyler Murray broke for a 21-yard gain after his pocket collapsed in the opening third down.

The Seahawks defense eventually rallied, though. After an early DeAndre Hopkins TD, Arizona's offense did not score again until the fourth quarter. Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu was impressive again with two sacks and two tackles for loss. Coby Bryant and Ryan Neal also caused turnovers, while Tariq Woolen made a number of key stops.

2. RB Kenneth Walker III

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Kenneth Walker III appears to be the Seahawks' future at the running back position. He finished with 109 yards and two touchdowns in this win in Arizona. Walker capped a 13-play drive in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown, his sixth of the season and fourth in a row.

Keep in mind that nobody has truly stopped Walker yet. The finest defenses have only managed to slow him down somewhat. For three quarters, the Cardinals accomplished just that, limiting Walker to short and medium gains on the ground. However, by the fourth quarter, they were no longer able to control him. Walker burst in the fourth quarter, gaining a lot of yards after contact.

Walker has definitely been the Seahawks' No. 1 backfielder since Rashaad Penny went out for the season due to injury. Walker's poor start to the season following a camp injury will likely keep him out of Rookie of the Year contention, but he appears to be the next in a long line of outstanding running backs in Seattle.

1. QB Geno Smith

Yes, Seahawks QB Geno Smith had a good day statistically. He completed 76 percent of his throws for 275 yards. He also had two touchdowns versus one interception and added 38 yards on the ground.

Beyond the numbers, however, Smith stood out this week for how he handled adversity. Keep in mind that he has played mostly mistake-free football this season. On Sunday, though, he threw a poor screen pass that was swiftly returned 30 yards for a score, which gave Arizona a small lead late in the game. Seattle's offensive had been sluggish up to that point, and the pick-six may have been a foreshadowing of things to come against the Hawks.

Instead, Geno Smith guided a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a score to retake the lead. It worked so well the first time that Smith led another 13-play touchdown drive the following series. Needless to say, Smith stepped up big during the game's biggest moments. That's a sign of greatness.

Many people have been waiting for him to drop the proverbial ball, or wondering when he will return to earth. At this rate, however, we believe Smith is the real deal. Seattle will go as far as he takes them.