Seahawks eager to make life difficult for another Cardinals QB in veteran Jacoby Brissett

By Canadian Press on November 6, 2025.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The last time the Seahawks and Cardinals squared off, Seattle’s pass rush had great day, sacking Kyler Murray six times.

On Sunday, the Seahawks’ front seven won’t be chasing down the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 draft. Murray was placed on injured reserve because of a nagging foot injury that forced him to miss Arizona’s past three games.

Instead, it will be veteran Jacoby Brissett making his fourth straight start when the NFC West rivals meet.

“Brissett is a great quarterback,” Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed said. “He’s been in this league a long time for a reason. They put on a good showing against Dallas. We’re just locked in on our keys and ready to go based on what we’re seeing on film.”

To Reed’s point, the Cardinals (3-5) tied their season high in points during Monday night’s 27-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, in which Brissett completed 21 of 31 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. In three starts, Brissett has thrown for 860 yards and six TDs with just one interception.

While Murray was healthy, the Cardinals struggled, with their passing offense ranking 30th in the league through the five games he played before getting hurt against Tennessee on Oct. 5. Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said Brissett hasn’t been the only reason for Arizona’s turnaround.

“It’s still the same guys that were out there with Kyler Murray,” Lawrence said. “I don’t want to give you too much, but it’s really the same thing. Football is football.”

The Seahawks (6-2) will see if their fifth-ranked scoring defense, which has the third-most sacks in the NFL this season, can make life as difficult for Brissett as it did for Murray in September.

“This week’s going to be a new challenge,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “In my opinion, the tape that I’ve watched so far, this is the best defense that we’ve played. It’ll be a big-time challenge, especially at their place.”

Rookie showcase

The Cardinals spent a ton of draft capital in April to rebuild their defense and it paid off against the Cowboys. The team’s rookie class of DL Walter Nolen III, CB Will Johnson, LB Cody Simon, CB Denzel Burke and LB Jordan Burch combined for 19 tackles, one interception, one sack, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, two tackles for loss and two special teams tackles. Nolen — the No. 16 overall pick out of Ole Miss — made his debut after missing the first seven games with a calf injury.

Spotlight on Shaheed

WR Rashid Shaheed, acquired by the Seahawks in a trade with New Orleans on Tuesday, is slated to make his team debut on Sunday. Shaheed is on track to have a career year in the final season of his contract.

He had 44 catches for 499 yards and two touchdowns with the Saints, as well as a combined 158 return yards on punts and kickoffs. Depending on how quickly Shaheed picks up the Seahawks’ playbook, he could provide Sam Darnold with a downfield threat alongside the NFL’s leading receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

“We’re really excited to have him,” Darnold said. “For me, I’m just going to continue to try to get to know him as much as possible. Throw as many routes without hurting my arm as possible to him and just continue to gain that trust and confidence in him.”

Emari’s comeback

Emari Demercado rushed for a season-high 79 yards on 14 carries against the Cowboys, taking a lead role in the Cardinals’ backfield because of injuries to James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee). Demercado’s performance came roughly a month after an embarrassing gaffe: He dropped the ball just before crossing into the end zone against the Titans, negating a potential 72-yard touchdown and helping to send his team to a stunning loss.

Riq’s rising

Seahawks CB Riq Woolen was rumored to be a trade candidate ahead of Tuesday’s deadline but stayed put. Woolen, who’s in his fourth season with the franchise and was an All-Pro his rookie year, has been inconsistent this year, leading to a drop in playing time. He also missed a game with a concussion.

But coach Mike Macdonald has been pleased with Woolen’s play as of late. Three of his four pass deflections this season have come in the Seahawks’ last two games.

“He’s stacked two really good games, good weeks of practice,” Macdonald said. “That wasn’t really our original plan going in and then Josh (Jobe) coming out, so we shuffled the back end a good bit. Riq did a great job playing a lot of the things that we hadn’t given, those looks, throughout the week. So, it tells you he’s preparing, he’s confident, and he’s playing fast.”

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Andrew Destin, The Associated Press