SEATTLE — The Arizona Cardinals, riding a four-game winning spree and averaging 29.3 points in their recent matchups, faced unexpected challenges against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Despite these promising statistics, the Seahawks’ defense, under the guidance of new head coach Mike Macdonald, managed to stifle the Cardinals’ offense effectively.

Kyler Murray struggled significantly, suffering five sacks and throwing a critical 69-yard interception return for a touchdown, courtesy of Seahawks safety Coby Bryant, in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams was particularly disruptive, recording 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, and a pass deflection, playing a vital role in the Seahawks’ 16-6 victory, which placed both teams at 6-5 in the NFC West standings.

Despite averaging 149.4 rushing yards a game, Arizona’s ground game faltered, managing only 49 yards on 14 carries. Star running back James Conner contributed a mere 8 yards on seven attempts, which intensified the pressure on Murray from the aggressive Seahawks’ line led by Williams.

“He’s a good player, we knew he’d be a challenge coming in,” said Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. “He’s a premium player for a reason. We’ll need to figure out how to adjust and better manage that because his performance definitely impacted the game.”

This match was particularly disappointing for Arizona, as they recorded their lowest scoring output of the season. “We couldn’t sustain drives. It was frustrating offensively, especially considering our recent performances,” Murray expressed. “Coming out here and not delivering was tough, we got physically outplayed.”

Although he completed 24 of 37 passes for 285 yards, the interception by Bryant loomed larger than his overall performance. Murray was forced into making the throw under pressure from cornerback Devon Witherspoon. “If I had held onto the ball better, we could have been competitive for all four quarters,” he added. “The defense played hard, but we failed to pull our weight offensively.”

A pivotal moment came in the second quarter when a touchdown reception by Michael Wilson was negated by a holding call against left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. “It felt like the momentum of the game wasn’t in our favor,” Wilson remarked. “Sometimes, games unfold like that, but we didn’t execute well enough to counteract the setbacks we faced.”