Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals Player Stats: Full Recap

There’s a particular kind of quiet that falls over a stadium when the home team’s backup quarterback is suddenly the most important man on the field. It’s a mix of hope and nervous tension, and it was the defining mood in Seattle this past Sunday as the Seahawks hosted the Cardinals. While the final score might suggest a shootout, the real story was a gritty, come-from-behind performance that has reshaped the early NFC West conversation. In this breakdown, we’re moving beyond the plain box score to see exactly how a 21-point fourth quarter erased a 20-point deficit, what it means for both teams’ trajectories, and which players are truly building momentum.

Final Score: Seahawks 31, Cardinals 21 · Game Date: September 20, 2026 · Attendance: 63,400

This table shows the entire game flow, but the real story is in the detail of the fourth-quarter comeback.

How the Game Unfolded: A Quarter-by-Quarter Shift in Momentum

The game’s narrative shifted dramatically in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the special teams unit, which had a costly turnover, redeemed itself with crucial plays in the final frame.

• First Half: Arizona controlled the clock and the scoreboard, leading 20-0 at one point.
• Third Quarter: Both teams traded punts, but Seattle’s offense finally found a rhythm.
• Fourth Quarter: Drew Lock connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 21 unanswered points, erasing the Cardinals’ lead.

The running game, which had been effective early, was shut down in the second half.

The pattern: Seattle’s ability to pivot to a pass-heavy attack in crunch time highlights their offensive flexibility.

The implication: This table shows the entire game flow, but the real story is in the detail of the fourth-quarter comeback.

Key Matchup Stats

The pattern: Seattle’s efficiency on third down and ability to score in bursts compensated for their time-of-possession disadvantage.

Summary: What’s at Stake for Both Sides

The Seahawks’ comeback is a testament to their offensive firepower, but the defense’s second-half adjustment is what won the game. Seattle’s defensive coordinator made key adjustments at halftime, and the unit responded by shutting down Arizona’s run game and pressuring Murray into mistakes.

“We just knew that we had to come out with a different mindset in the second half,” the Seahawks head coach said. Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator admitted, “We didn’t do anything special in the second half, we just didn’t tackle.”

The implication: This win gives Seattle a crucial early edge in the NFC West, with the head-to-head tiebreaker in their pocket.