The Arizona Cardinals are looking to carry momentum from their thrilling Week 8 comeback over the Dallas Cowboys into Week 9. That's a tall task heading into Lumen Field, one of the toughest road environments in the league. The Cardinals are hoping Minshew Mania carries over, though they could find it far more challenging to have that same success against a stout Seattle Seahawks defense.
Arizona lost this matchup 31-7 at home back in Week 2. They enter this contest as heavy underdogs as well. Hopefully, they can pull off what would be their fourth upset of the season.
Kickoff for the Nov. 8 matchup is 4:25 p.m. ET and the game can be viewed on FOX.
Arizona Cardinals injury news
The Cardinals caught the injury bug in Week 8.
Jeremiyah Love is now out four to five weeks with a high ankle sprain. Bam Knight is in concussion protocol, leaving Arizona thin at running back depth behind Tyler Allgeier. Should Knight be unable to go, it would be Evan Hull stepping up as RB2.
Wide receiver is an issue as well, with the season-ending wrist injury to Jalen Brooks followed up by a season-ending fractured right tibia suffered by Kendrick Bourne in the win over Dallas. Simi Fehoko is now the WR2 on this team's depth chart alongside Michael Wilson.
Wilson was limited in practice Wednesday. He broke two ribs against the Cowboys but didn't let it affect a productive night, totaling eight catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He showed clear chemistry with Minshew and will look to build on it if he can play against Seattle.
The bigger issue for the Cardinals may be buying Minshew enough time with such a banged-up offensive line. They've already lost Paris Johnson Jr. for the season and now have left tackle Jayden Williams and guard Jon Gaines II missing practice Wednesday. However, right guard Isaiah Adams did have his 21-day practice window opened, which is a promising sign that reinforcements could be on the way.
Seattle Seahawks injury news
Sam Darnold has been ruled out with quad and rib injuries suffered in the loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Other than Darnold, Seattle was without left tackle Charles Cross and defensive tackle Leonard Williams during Wednesday's estimated practice session. Edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu was limited as well.
Storylines
Gardner Minshew's starting debut
Minshew had the Cardinals offense looking far more explosive in Week 8. He'll have his work cut out for him on the road in Seattle, with a rebuilding Cardinals team that has significant injuries to its offensive line, running back, and wide receiver room.
It's ultimately the right decision by Mike LaFleur to turn to Minshew, as Brissett clearly wasn't the answer after their 3-5 start. Still, the concern is that, despite the Minshew Mania in Week 8, there's not a drastic enough difference between Brissett and Minshew.
These are two journeymen who both wound up in Arizona, so hopefully Minshew's stop goes more smoothly. He's off to a great start after the Cardinals' comeback win, but he's up against a different beast in the Pacific Northwest.
Cardinals get their chance at redemption against Drew Lock
The Cardinals will get yet another matchup against backup quarterback Drew Lock. Back in that Week 2 blowout, Lock completed 19-of-26 passes for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Cardinals must do a better job of containing him, but their secondary has been susceptible to big plays all season, which is a matchup nightmare against Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They've tended to hang around in losses just to give up a game-changing play, and it could be more of the same in this contest.
Prediction
The switch to Minshew should help spark Arizona's offense, even against this Seattle defense. Hopefully Wilson can suit up and give Minshew another pass-catcher, though it's never a bad idea to force-feed the ball to tight end Trey McBride. On the ground, Allgeier may struggle to replicate his Week 8 success, especially with such an injury-riddled offensive line.
The Cardinals should be able to keep this one close, but then again, big plays were a huge problem against Lock and the Seahawks back in Week 2. The Cardinals haven't shown much promise in cleaning up those problems, and it should remain the deciding factor.
Expect the Cardinals to come down from their Week 8 high, and the Seahawks to get back above .500 where they belong.
Seahawks 27, Cardinals 20
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