The Seahawks, looking to extend their winning streak over the Cardinals to 8 straight games, suffered a major loss in the second half. With the Seahawks holding a slim 7-3 lead, veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, a man who has built a career on disruption, went to work. He was chasing down Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, and then, he simply stopped. He pulled up, grabbing for his thigh, and the play—the game—went on without him.

Word from the sideline quickly followed. “Seahawks DE DeMarcus Lawrence doubtful to come back in this game because of a thigh injury.” It was a gut punch. While he’s yet to notch a sack on the season, his 11 combined tackles and seven assists speak to his relentless presence.

And here’s the rub: he’s the linchpin of a defense that’s been absolutely cooking, allowing just 179 total yards per game, a number that ranks among the league’s very best. 

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The Cardinals were also without star RB James Conner, out for the season with an ankle injury, pinning their hopes on Trey Benson to carry the rock (what’s his history).

The game had a Coby Bryant INT on an errant Murray pass, followed by a fumble on the return, a play so wild it felt like it was born in a fever dream. Then there was the tale of two wide receivers.

Two Ohio State receivers, two different stories

Ohio State alum Jaxon Smith-Njigba entered the game with solid numbers—22 catches for 323 yards and a TD over three games. The Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr., also from Ohio State, however, has been navigating a different story.

While JSN continues to shine, Harrison, who entered the game with just 10 receptions for 142 yards, had a costly drop that resulted in an INT. He had one drop last week, too, but that counted as an incompletion as it landed on the ground. 

Meanwhile, on the other sideline, Sam Darnold and RB Kenneth Walker III were quietly but methodically chewing up turf, with Walker already up to 64 yards from scrimmage on a scoring drive that felt almost surgically precise amid the surrounding mayhem. The’ TD was a testament to that precise, steady work, a counterpoint to the wild, chaotic energy of the Cardinals’ side of the ball.

The loss of Lawrence, a man who’s been to four Pro Bowls and tallied 61.5 career sacks, hangs over everything, a quiet, nagging question. The game goes on, sure, as they lead in the third quarter, and we inch towards the last quarter, the scoreboard reading 17-6.