Seahawks Beat Cardinals 17-3 Without Darnold as AJ Barner Scores Twice
With Sam Darnold out, AJ Barner ran for one touchdown and caught another as Seattle held Arizona to a field goal and moved to 5-4.
The Seattle Seahawks were without starting quarterback Sam Darnold on Sunday and still beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-3. Tight end AJ Barner scored both Seattle touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, and the defense held the Cardinals to a single field goal. Seattle is now 5-4.
According to ESPN's game summary, Arizona went ahead first on Chad Ryland's 28-yard field goal midway through the first quarter, finishing a 10-play, 89-yard drive. Seattle took the lead early in the second quarter when Barner went in from 1 yard out to end an 11-play, 58-yard march. Before halftime, Drew Lock, starting for Darnold, led a 7-play, 81-yard drive in 1:30 and hit Barner from 7 yards out for a 14-3 lead. Jason Myers made a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, and that was all the scoring.
The Associated Press report carried by Yahoo Sports noted that Gardner Minshew got the Cardinals deep into Seattle territory, but Arizona never reached the end zone. The Cardinals fell to 3-6.
The result matters for Seattle beyond the standings. The Seahawks had lost three of their previous four games, and the last one was a 34-17 home loss to Chicago in which the defense gave up the most points it has allowed all season. This week the offense played without its starting quarterback, and the defense carried the game. Seattle has allowed 3 points in each of its last two wins, 20-3 over Kansas City and now 17-3 over Arizona. It also swept the season series from the Cardinals by a combined 48-10, after winning 31-7 in Arizona earlier this season.
What it means for Las Vegas
Seattle goes to Las Vegas next Sunday, November 15 (CBS). Through nine games the Seahawks have outscored opponents 202-162, but they are 4-2 at home and 1-2 on the road. Their only road win came in Arizona. The other two road games were close losses: 33-31 at Washington and 17-14 at Denver. The quarterback situation is the main thing to watch this week. The sources have not said whether Darnold will be back, so Seattle could be facing another road game with Lock under center.
The market still has Seattle as the clear favorite. On this site's board for the game, which tracks 10 venues, Novig has the Seahawks favored at -167 on the moneyline and the Raiders at +163. The sportsbooks' hold on the moneyline ranges from 3.8% to 6.4%. The spread is split. Novig has Seattle at -3.5 with a price of +106, while Hard Rock Bet has the best Seattle number anywhere at -3, priced at -115. On the Raiders side, Novig has +3.5 at -115, and BetRivers has the same line at -110.
The total is 43.5 at Novig, with the over at -108 and the under at -113. Bet365 has the best under price at 43.5 (-106), and BetMGM has the over at 43 (-110). The sportsbook hold on the total ranges from 4.3% to 4.8%. Seattle has won its last two games while allowing 3 points in each. Its other two road games, the losses at Washington and Denver, totaled 64 and 31 points. So the defense's recent form and the team's road history point in different directions for the total.