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Week 2 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 20, Arizona Cardinals 23
What you need to know
| Seattle Seahawks |
The offense came out of the gates slowly. Former League MVP Shaun Alexander did not have any one rush attempt that went for more than three yards in the first half. He struggled enough that Holmgren sat him down for a short while. In the end he did just enough to redeem himself, but it was enough to make one worry.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck displayed patience and poise galore, and finally had his way with the Arizona defense (to the tune of 281 yards and a single TD), but it wasn't enough for the win. A flubbed handoff late in the game led to the Cardinals final drive, ending what was up to that point a brilliant comeback.
Hasselbeck's receivers, Bobby Engram, Deion Branch, and Nate Burleson, all played well, and Branch really came on in the second half (95 of his 122 yards), showing that what he is capable of after the catch is as exciting as any receiver in the league. When it came to crunch time, Hasselbeck made it clear that he had found his go-to guy.
In the first half, this team looked very, very bad. A late score and some evident adjustments at halftime had them back in the game. It is encouraging that they committed to finding a way to get the ball to the heavily covered Deion Branch, rather than give up and throw it elsewhere.
| Arizona Cardinals |
Matt Leinart threw for nearly 300 yards with one touchdown. Coach Ken Whisenhunt's well documented commitment to the running game appears to have helped the passing game as well, as the Seattle defense was unable to key on the pass or run. Leinart was calm and composed in the face of a persistent pass-rush, often holding on to the ball until the last possible second. Despite throwing his only touchdown to tight end Leonard Pope, he showed a good rapport with his two elite wide receivers.
Edgerrin James made it look very easy, as he pounded the ball again and again, until finally something gave. His total of 128 yards is all the more impressive given his slow start. He clearly got stronger as the game went on.
Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald dominated the Seattle secondary at times. The stat line doesn't tell you that, of course. Both went without a touchdown and ended with just over 80 yards each. Leinart threw to them often, but also made a point of spreading the ball around, meaning no one receiver had a big day.
The Cardinals were without starting center Al Johnson, but the line did an excellent job of protecting Leinart and blocking for the running backs.
The special teams players were the unsung heroes of this game; time and again, the Cardinals would have great field position, and the Seahawks would not. A tipped punt (causing a 7-yard punt) and a downed punt (at the Seahawks one yard line) ensured that their opponents would not have anything handed to them.
What you ought to know
| QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 22 - 36 - 281 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0 |
Hasselbeck showed outstanding patience and incredible poise in the first half of this game, as very little went well. His top receiver, Deion Branch, was in blanket coverage; the running game was going nowhere. Down by 17 and nearing half time, Hasselbeck found WR Nate Burleson with a quick strike inside the ten yard line that Burleson trucked into the end zone. As evidenced by Hasselbeck's total of 281 yards passing, things improved in the second half. They found a way to get the ball to Branch, and the running game found its legs, allowing a little more freedom in the air. Typically, he spread the ball around (to nine different players), but also showed strong chemistry with Branch in the second half. On the down side, he and Shaun Alexander also teamed up to botch a handoff late in the game. Gerald Hayes broke through before Hasselbeck was able to hand off the ball, resulting not only in a lost fumble, but on the ensuing drive the Cardinals kicked the game winning field goal.
| RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 18 - 70 - 1, Rec: 2 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
Alexander's 70 yards and a touchdown on the day make him look better than he really was. In the first half, he was simply abysmal, with his largest gain going for a grand total of three yards. He was pulled briefly in the second quarter, but Coach Mike Holmgren did not give up on him. In the third quarter, he took the ball in from the Cardinals 16 yard line (his longest rush of the day) on a fourth and one play, and seemed to garner some momentum from that.
| RB Mack Strong, Rush: 3 - 10 - 0, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (3 targets) |
Strong will never be mistaken for a fantasy threat, but he is valuable to the Seahawks. He caught all three balls thrown his way, two of which went for first downs.
| RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) |
Weaver came into the game briefly in the first half, as Holmgren pulled the under-performing Shaun Alexander. He had one carry and one catch.
| RB Alvin Pearman, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) |
One catch for one yard. As the unofficial backup to Alexander (while Maurice Morris is out), he did not see much action.
| WR Deion Branch, Rec: 7 - 122 - 0 (11 targets) |
Branch played a Jekyll and Hyde game. In the first half, he did have three catches -- all for first downs -- but was covered very well and was not able to do much with the balls thrown his way. Second half: different story. The Seahawks obviously made some adjustments and had Branch run a few comeback routes, which paid off immediately, as he absolutely robbed Arizona of what looked like three very ordinary catches, turning them each into big gains (37, 22, 27). He clearly has the confidence of his quarterback and coaching staff going forward.
| WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 5 - 71 - 0 (7 targets) |
Engram filled the possession receiver role, hauling half of his catches for first downs. Hasselbeck looked to him often on third downs. He and Burleson see roughly the same amount of looks; unfortunately for fantasy purposes, that dulls both of their values slightly.
| WR Nate Burleson, Rec: 2 - 39 - 1 (6 targets) |
Burleson took over the number two receiver slot from the injured D.J. Hackett and though his end of day numbers were not stellar, he did prove that he belonged, and pulled in a highlight reel touchdown pass in which he fought with the defender after the catch, taking him the six yards needed to get into the end zone. He was used as a deep threat, which accounts for his low percentage of catches/target. Burleson is also a consistent threat as the main punt returner.
| WR Courtney Taylor, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) |
Yes, the Seahawks do have a fourth receiver. He saw very limited playing time.
| TE Marcus Pollard (2 targets) |
He was pretty much invisible. He dropped a pass in the first quarter, and then had to wait until late in the third to see another one. It was a red zone look, for what it's worth, but Hasselbeck simply did not look his way often.
| PK Josh Brown 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points |
He was two for two, both 28 yard kicks.
| SEA Rush Defense |
They did not contain the run entirely, but kept Edgerrin James in check for most of the day. What the Seahawks did that was most impressive was strike a balance between covering the pass and the run.
| SEA Pass Defense |
Similar to the run defense, they did not shut down the passing game. They were clearly overmatched against Boldin and Fitzgerald, but did not give up any huge gains. Lofa Tatupu's interception gave them excellent field position and set up their second touchdown.
| QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 23 - 37 - 299 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -4 - 0 |
Leinart was calm and composed under pressure, often waiting until the last possible before letting go of the ball. He seems to know his receivers capabilities well, and uses them wisely. He often throws high to Fitzgerald, for example, who usually outreaches whoever is covering him and comes down with the catch. He was one yard shy of 300, with one TD and one interception. Most impressive was his willingness to throw to the open man when his two wideouts were covered.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 24 - 128 - 1, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (2 targets) |
James was rock steady, starting off very slowly and waiting for an opportunity to break one. Near the end of the half, he had lulled the Seahawks defense into a false sense of security when he ran for a 17 yard score. Overall, James played well. He was missing his usual starting center, and even so still surpassed a hundred yards rushing. He was not used much in the passing game (he was often spelled on third downs by Arrington or Shipp) but when called upon, caught both balls thrown to him, turning one short catch into a first down. One important note: his gains got consistently larger as the game went on.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0, Rec: 4 - 24 - 0 (4 targets) |
Former top draft pick J.J. Arrington has become a forgotten man in fantasy circles. He came in to spell James occasionally, and the Cardinals were not afraid to put the ball in his hands. He saw considerably more time than the supposed backup, Marcel Shipp.
| RB Marcel Shipp (1 targets) |
Shipp saw very limited action. J.J. Arrington seemed to be getting all the love on third downs.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 7 - 87 - 0 (10 targets) |
At first, he and Boldin were being targeted equally, but in the second half, Leinart locked onto Fitzgerald a bit more. His only big gain (40 yards) came in the first half, and two of his three second half catches were of the extremely short variety. Considering how dominant he looked on some of his catches, it is surprising that he was used that way in the latter stages of the game.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 4 - 83 - 0 (5 targets) |
Boldin was a first down machine in the first half, and a threat to break out anytime he touched the ball. Unfortunately, after his 48 yard first half, he only got one look in the second half (which he turned into a 35 yard gain). Leinart looked for him on slant and crossing patterns over the middle, which he then turned up field for big gains. All of his catches went for first downs.
| WR Sean Morey, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) |
Morey seemed to have taken over Bryant Johnson's usual role, and caught two passes for first downs. He also dropped one late in the game that could have shortened the distance for Rackers' ensuing field goal attempt (he made the 52 yard attempt anyway). He also tipped a punt in the first quarter; creating a seven yard punt and setting the stage for the Cards first score of the game.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) |
Johnson caught both balls thrown to him for first downs, both also in the first half. He doesn't appear to get any looks until third down, as either Boldin or Fitzgerald are the intended targets more often than not.
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 1 - 30 - 1 (2 targets) |
Pope made the most of his limited looks, showing soft hands on a play action catch that he easily ran into the end zone.
| PK Neil Rackers 3 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points |
Was three of four, with the only miss being from 52 yards out (he also made a 52 yard attempt). Won the game with his last-second 43 yard boot.
| ARI Rush Defense |
They shut down Alexander, plain and simple. Yes, they allowed a touchdown, but other than that lapse, they controlled the ground game.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The Cardinals secondary is better than you think. They did an admirable job of shutting down the Seahawk receivers when playing man to man coverage. Burleson's touchdown catch was the result of Hasselbeck taking advantage of their zone, and late in the game, most of Branch's yards came after the catch on comeback patterns.
