Cardinals vs. Seahawks: Week 9 Preview and Prediction

November 5, 2026 • Arizona Cardinals, NFL News, Seattle Seahawks

By Brian Hradsky

The Arizona Cardinals visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 8, with quarterback changes shaping both sides of the NFC West matchup. Gardner Minshew II has taken over as Arizona’s starter, while Seattle has ruled out Sam Darnold and plans to start Drew Lock. Kickoff at Lumen Field is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. Eastern on FOX.

Arizona enters at 3-5 after its 33-30 overtime comeback against Dallas. Seattle is 4-4 following a 34-17 Monday night loss to Chicago. The Cardinals want to carry their offensive spark into another road game, while the Seahawks need a more controlled performance with a different quarterback directing the offense.

How to watch Cardinals at Seahawks

Seattle must adjust without Darnold

The Seahawks announced Wednesday that Darnold will miss the game because of a quad injury. Coach Mike Macdonald said the plan is for Lock to start, with Jalen Milroe preparing as the backup. Lock has also been working through an elbow injury, making his preparation another important part of the week. Seattle needs to build an offensive approach around the available quarterback’s practical strengths rather than assume the change has no effect.

The Seahawks should try to establish the run and provide clear, accessible completions early. A manageable second down gives a quarterback more freedom than a series immediately disrupted by a negative play. Seattle can also use movement and formation changes to help identify Arizona’s coverage responsibilities before the snap. The opening objective should be productive rhythm that lets the offense expand its choices as the game develops.

Protection becomes especially important when Seattle takes a deeper opportunity. A quarterback entering the lineup needs clarity about both the primary target and the outlet if pressure arrives sooner than expected. The Seahawks should avoid repeated situations in which the only successful outcome requires a difficult throw after the play has already broken down. Arizona will have an opportunity if it can make Seattle’s passing decisions rushed and predictable at the same time.

Seattle’s offensive line and receivers also need to support the change through consistent execution. A penalty that creates a longer down or a route that ends in the wrong space can become more costly when a team is adjusting its timing. The Seahawks should value the routine play that preserves a possession. An offense does not need to become conservative everywhere to recognize that an avoidable negative snap could derail an otherwise useful series.

Minshew gives Arizona a new starting point

The Cardinals named Minshew their starter Monday after his productive relief appearance against Dallas. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns in that game. Arizona now needs to determine how that spark translates into a full week as the expected starter against a defense preparing specifically for him. One impressive stretch provides encouragement, but it does not eliminate the need for better protection and a coherent plan across four quarters.

Arizona should look for ways to maintain the decisiveness it showed during the comeback. That means clear reads, receivers getting to useful spaces on time and a running game that keeps Seattle from treating every important down as a passing situation. Minshew should have opportunities if the Cardinals can make defenders hesitate between the run and the first receiving route. The offense becomes less effective if it assumes the same urgent passing approach will fit every score and every down.

The road setting adds another layer to those decisions. Lumen Field can make communication difficult when an offense leaves adjustments until late in the play clock. Arizona should work to establish its assignments early and preserve enough time to respond if Seattle changes its alignment. The Cardinals cannot afford to replace a useful offensive snap with a timeout or penalty because the line and quarterback are operating from different expectations.

Injury situations extend beyond the quarterbacks

Seattle’s Wednesday practice report listed Charles Cross, Leonard Williams and Rashid Shaheed among the nonparticipants. Lock and guard Quenton Nelson were among those listed as limited. The Seahawks used an estimated report following a walkthrough after their Monday game. Outside the confirmed Darnold announcement, those participation entries should not be turned into final Sunday availability decisions.

Arizona’s backfield also deserves attention after injuries affected the group against Dallas. The Cardinals’ game recap described Jeremiyah Love and Bam Knight leaving that game, while Tyler Allgeier supplied a major rushing contribution. The available backs and their eventual workloads could influence how much pressure falls on Minshew. Arizona needs an effective running plan even if the specific distribution differs from its preferred arrangement earlier in the season.

Turnovers could carry extra weight with both offenses adapting. A defense that creates a short field can make the next scoring opportunity much easier for a quarterback still establishing timing with his unit. Both teams should try to pressure the passer without losing containment or abandoning coverage responsibilities. The most useful defensive play may be a disciplined stop that forces another long drive rather than an unsuccessful gamble for an interception.

Brian’s Take: Seattle gets a narrow home edge

I favor Seattle narrowly, with the quarterback changes reducing confidence in any comfortable projected margin. Arizona has a credible upset case if Minshew’s decisiveness carries over and the Cardinals produce enough rushing support to keep Seattle’s defense uncertain. The Seahawks need to help Lock through protection, manageable downs and reliable catches. A game that forces either replacement starter into repeated obvious passing situations could shift quickly toward the opposing defense.

I expect a more contested matchup than a simple comparison of the teams’ reputations might suggest. Arizona should have productive moments, particularly if its protection keeps the offense on schedule through the opening quarter. Seattle’s home setting gives the Seahawks a slight advantage in a game where communication and field position could matter as much as total yardage. My score prediction is Seahawks 24, Cardinals 20, with Seattle making one more late possession count while limiting the turnovers that could fuel another Arizona comeback.

Our Cardinals coverage and Seahawks coverage track both teams’ quarterback developments. Compare them in our Week 9 power rankings. Seattle’s official viewing guide and the NFL schedule confirm the game information.