There are at least a couple ways for teams to enter a National Football League game. One way is to be playing well and have confidence that your success will continue. A second possibility is to be coming off a loss and facing an injury situation that by some evaluations is a reason for certain doom.
Which way do you think most often results in a win?
The team that is challenged, has something to overcome, will consistently play above their perceived talent level. Confidence is the first ingredient in a motivational trap.
We have an opportunity to see these two ways to come into a game in action tonight. The Seattle Seahawks roll into Arizona on the heels of back-to-back wins including a trouncing of the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, 44-13. Before the season started, there were a lot of questions on whether Sam Darnold would experience the same success in Seattle that he enjoyed last year in leading the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs.
Darnold is with his fifth NFL team and only found success with the fourth before this season. Last year, the Vikings signed him to back-up their first-round draft choice, quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Then McCarthy suffered a preseason injury that shelved him for his rookie year.
The injury to McCarthy opened the door for the one-time first round draft choice of the New York Jets. Darnold was selected by New York with the third overall selection in 2018 but fell far short of expectations while winning only 13 of 38 NFL starts for the Jets. He spent two uneventful seasons with the Carolina Panthers while posting an 8 and 9 won/loss mark in 17 starts. In 2023, he was a backup in San Francisco and lost his only start with the 49ers.
Then magic when he got the shot in Minnesota. Darnold guided the Vikings to their second most wins in franchise history, 14, and into the playoffs. But, he lost the last game of the regular season to the Detroit Lions when the Vikings had a chance to earn the top seed in the NFC. As a fifth seed, the Vikings were on the road to open the postseason and were dominated by the Los Angeles Rams, 27-9.
The thud ending after a great start made the Vikings decision easy to let Darnold go and get back to developing McCarthy as their franchise quarterback.
Darnold can be an accurate passer but is not fleet of foot. Some said his success in Minnesota last year was greatly influenced by the Vikings talented offensive line. Seattle isn’t blessed with an outstanding corps up front on offense and many thought Darnold would have trouble and revert to the kind of problems that plagued his first six NFL seasons.
But, while the Vikings are now struggling with McCarthy sidelined again, their castoff quarterback has got the Seahawks in the winners circle in his last two starts after a narrow opening game defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. A second week triumph in Pittsburgh over the always tough Steelers got Seattle into the win column, and last week's romp over the Saints solidified the new assumption that Darnold can be just as effective with the Seahawks this year as he was with the Vikings in 2024.
The home team tonight, the Arizona Cardinals, have a record equal to the Seahawks. Both teams have losses against their NFC West Division rival San Francisco, and wins over the New Orleans Saints. While the Seahawks were beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in second week action, the Arizona Cardinals were entertaining the Carolina Panthers. In that game, the Cardinals built up a commanding lead and then needed to hang on late for a closer than expected 27-22 victory.
So, tonight, the Seahawks come flying into State Farm Stadium off back-to-back wins and a betting public favorite to win a third straight game. The Cardinals take the field for this Thursday night primetime contest off a narrow loss in San Francisco and suffering key injury problems including the loss of their top runner, James Connor. The nine-year NFL veteran suffered a season ending ankle injury during the Cardinals 16-15 loss at Levi’s Stadium.
The Cardinals are not celebrating their two wins like they promise success in the future. No. Arizona is looking down the gunbarrel of a second straight loss after being so close to winning a third straight in San Francisco last Sunday.
The Seahawks are flying high following two wins and expect a third on the road tonight.
See?
One team comes into this game with confidence and momentum, and the other is challenged to, well, play better. We’ll take the team primed for a big effort tonight while the public bets on last week’s results.
Qoxhi Picks: Arizona Cardinals (+1½) over Seattle Seahawks