SEATTLE — With starting quarterback Sam Darnold sidelined, the Seahawks turned to Drew Lock and leaned on a defense that refused to give Arizona a way back into the game. AJ Barner supplied both Seattle touchdowns—one on the ground and one through the air—in a 17–3 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
Arizona struck first, driving deep into Seattle territory on its opening possession before settling for Chad Ryland’s 28-yard field goal. It would be the Cardinals’ only points of the afternoon.
Barner put Seattle ahead early in the second quarter, diving in for a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The tight end struck again just before halftime, catching a 7-yard pass from Lock with 15 seconds remaining. The score survived a review and sent the Seahawks into the break up 14–3.
Lock, starting in place of Darnold, completed 19 of 28 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. Barner finished with two catches for 7 yards and three carries for 3 yards, turning his limited touches into a decisive pair of scores. Jason Myers added a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter to extend Seattle’s lead to 17–3.
The Cardinals still had a chance to narrow the gap in the fourth. Facing fourth-and-goal from the Seattle 2, Gardner Minshew threw toward Trey McBride, but the Seahawks defended the pass and turned Arizona away. Minshew finished 21 of 30 for 166 yards; Arizona never reached the end zone.
Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught seven passes for 51 yards and crossed 1,000 receiving yards for the season. He became the third player in Seahawks history with three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, joining Steve Largent and Tyler Lockett.
The Seahawks improved to 5–4 and bounced back from a home loss to Chicago. Arizona fell to 3–6 and has now lost 11 straight meetings with Seattle. Next Sunday, the Seahawks head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
