No. 3 Texas A&M's dominant defense overwhelms No. 19 Missouri's freshman QB in 38-17 victory By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Marcel Reed threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, Texas A&M's hounding defense made for a forgettable first start for Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers, and the third-ranked Aggies beat the No. 19 Tigers 38-17 on Saturday to remain undefeated.
Rueben Owens II added 102 yards rushing and a pair of clinching touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, as the Aggies (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 3 CFP) continued their best start since 1992 with their third consecutive victory over Missouri.
Zollers, starting in place of injured Beau Pribula, was just 7 of 22 for 77 yards, despite getting plenty of help from his rushing attack. Jamal Roberts ran for 110 yards and a touchdown, and Ahmad Hardy added 109 yards and another score, as the Tigers (6-3, 2-3, No. 22) piled up 207 yards on the ground.
Missouri had been in every game this season, including close losses to No. 4 Alabama and No. 16 Vanderbilt. But losing Pribula to a season-ending injury against the Commodores left the 19-year-old Zollers to make his first start against the Aggies.
It was a predictably tough task.
The first true freshman to start for Missouri since Drew Lock a decade ago, Zollers spent most of the game simply trying to stay upright. And on the rare occasion that he had time to throw, Zollers either overshot hits targets or threw it into the turf, resulting in a humbling halftime line: 3 of 11 for 31 yards, two sacks and a fumble that was nearly returned for a touchdown.
In fact, that fumble late in the first half may have been the tipping point in the game.
Texas A&M led 7-0 after a touchdown catch by Ashton Bethel-Roman late in the first quarter, and was trying to force a punt before the break. Zollers was blitzed by Daymion Sanford, who knocked the ball out of his hands and into the arms of Texas A&M safety Dalton Brooks, whose return set up EJ Smith's touchdown plunge two plays later.
The Aggies kept the momentum going after halftime. Missouri quickly went three-and-out, and Reed zipped a screen pass to KC Concepcion, who took advantage of the space vacated by a blitzing safety to run nearly untouched 48 yards for the score.
What had been a defensive slugfest late in the first half had become a 21-0 lead for Texas A&M.
The Tigers tried to make it a game in the third quarter, when Roberts finally reached the end zone. But after forcing the Aggies into fourth down near midfield, they executed a perfect punt fake, leading to a field goal and a 24-7 lead.
Owens eventually put the game away with his two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.
Takeaways
Texas A&M overcame eight penalties for 65 yards thanks to some simple persistence. The Aggies never gave up on the run game, even when it was going poorly, and they finally broke through in the fourth quarter.
Missouri proved it can still run the ball with Zollers under center. The question remains whether the Tigers can throw it.
Up next
Texas A&M: Hosts South Carolina next Saturday.
Missouri: Hosts Mississippi State next Saturday.
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Tolbert throws for 2 TDs, rushes for one and Alcorn State defeats Southern 35-17 The Associated Press LORMAN, Miss.
LORMAN, Miss. (AP) — Jaylon Tolbert threw for two touchdowns and he also ran for a score as Alcorn State rode a big third quarter to take down Southern 35-17 on Saturday.
Reggie Davis led all rushers with 110 yards on 17 carries, and the Braves (4-6, 3-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) racked up 259 total rushing yards.
All of Tolbert's touchdowns came in the third quarter as Alcorn State pulled away. Omarion Blakes and Tylon Citizen each caught touchdowns, while Jarvis Rush (4 carries, 28 yards) rushed for a score.
A Nathan Zimmer 42-yard field goal brought Southern (1-9, 0-6) within four points as time expired in the first half.
Trey Holly rushed for Southern's only offensive touchdown, tallying 13 yards on 10 attempts. He also caught three passes for 30 yards.
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RG Chris Lindstrom active for Falcons but CB Mike Hughes out vs. Colts in Berlin The Associated Press BERLIN
BERLIN (AP) — Falcons three-time Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom is active for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, but starting cornerback Mike Hughes (neck) won't play.
Defensive lineman LaCale London (shoulder) is also inactive. All three players had been listed as questionable. Lindstrom was dealing with a foot injury.
Hughes has made 21 solo tackles and has five passes defensed this season, with no interceptions. On Saturday, the Falcons elevated CB Keith Taylor.
Atlanta guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle), edge Leonard Floyd (hamstring) and OT Storm Norton (foot) did not make the trip.
Also inactive for the Falcons: S Jordan Fuller, OL Joshua Gray and OL Andrew Stueber.
For the Colts, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (neck) was placed on injured reserve Friday. Defensive ends Samson Ebukam (knee) and Tyquan Lewis (groin) and WR Anthony Gould (knee) had also been ruled out.
Also inactive for the Colts: RB D.J. Giddens, S Reuben Lowery III, TE Will Mallory, T Luke Tenuta.
WR Laquon Treadwell was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad Saturday. Indianapolis also elevated DE Durell Nchami and DT Tim Smith to the active roster from the practice squad.
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Sauce Gardner makes debut for Colts in Berlin after whirlwind week The Associated Press BERLIN
BERLIN (AP) — Sauce Gardner followed Kyle Pitts inside to the middle, so Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw to the outside.
The result was a 16-yard touchdown pass to Drake London with linebacker Germaine Pratt in coverage, giving Atlanta a 14-13 lead over the Indianapolis Colts at halftime on Sunday.
Gardner made his debut for the Colts after a whirlwind week that saw him traded from the New York Jets to the Colts, who gave up two first-round draft picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell to get one of the league’s premier cover cornerbacks.
Gardner was selected as an All-Pro in each of his first two seasons with New York, and though he hasn’t played as well last season or this one, a fresh start with a different defense could help him return to his All-Pro form.
Gardner, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2022 draft, made three solo tackles in the first half.
Safety Camryn Bynum said Friday that he’s seen Gardner “taking notes” and called him a “student of the game.”
The Falcons had early success running up the middle against a Colts team playing without three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner , who was placed on injured reserve on Friday with a neck injury.
Atlanta's Bijan Robinson rushed for 47 yards on nine carries in the first half.
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Packers couldn't stop Eagles' tush push during offseason. Now they'll try to contain it on the field By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers couldn’t thwart the tush push during the offseason.
Now they must try to find a way to stop it in a game.
Green Bay proposed a ban on the play during the offseason, a measure that fell two votes short of passage.
That has enabled the Philadelphia Eagles to continue using the short-yardage play in their Super Bowl title defense.
The Eagles (6-2) beat the Packers (5-2-1) twice last season — including a playoff victory — and face them again Monday night at Lambeau Field.
“We know it’s coming,” Packers defensive lineman Karl Brooks said. “Really, I look forward to the challenge of just stopping it and getting a turnover on downs, whether it’s fourth-and-1 or third-and-1. But it is an annoying play to deal with.”
The Eagles have been ruthlessly efficient in converting short-yardage situations by having quarterback Jalen Hurts sneak while teammates line up behind him and push him forward.
Mark Murphy, the Packers’ president/CEO at the time, proposed banning the play before his July retirement. A rule that would have prohibited offensive players from pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping or encircling a runner was supported by a 22-10 vote of NFL owners, but it needed a three-quarters majority according to league bylaws.
“When you look at the play, I would say I don’t think it’s a great football play,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said during the NFL owners meetings in April when a ban was under discussion. “It’s more of a rugby play. And then some of the injury concerns. We just want to kind of get out in front of that and be a little bit more proactive.”’
LaFleur wasn’t nearly as talkative when he was asked about the tush push Thursday.
“Guys, I’m not going to get into it,” LaFleur said. "It is what it is. You know, the NFL made a decision, and we have to find a way to try to stop the play, and it’s a tough play to stop.”
Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni says he hasn’t thought much about the fact that the Eagles are facing the team that tried banning the play. Sirianni also said he didn’t care one way or another about how the tush push irritates some opponents.
“I try not to get wrapped up into things that are out of my control, and so I don’t have an opinion either way,” Sirianni said. “This is the rule, this is what we’ll play by with the rule, and we’ll go from there.”
The Eagles started using the tush push in 2021. According to Sportradar, when the Eagles have attempted a quarterback sneak while facing third-and-1 or fourth-and-1 (including goal-to-go situations), they have converted 85.9% of the time since 2021. Their worst efficiency rate in those situations since then has come this season, when they’ve converted 13 of 17 times.
The league-wide conversion rate on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 situations (not limited to quarterback sneaks) was 70.7% in 2021, 67.3% in 2022, 69% in 2023, 70.1% in 2024 and 68.8% this season heading into Sunday’s games.
Philadelphia’s use of the tush push makes the Eagles particularly difficult to stop when approaching the goal line. The Eagles have scored touchdowns on 85% of their red zone possessions this season, the best conversion rate by any team through the first eight games of a season since Seattle in 2020.
“The success rate is incredible, and they’ve done such a good job mastering it,” Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said.
The Eagles have tried some variations on the tush push this season to keep defenses off balance.
In a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season, the Eagles lined up as if they were going to attempt the tush push on first-and-goal, but Hurts instead threw an underhanded pass to tight end Dallas Goedert for a 2-yard touchdown. Later in that game, the Eagles again passed up a sneak, as Hurts handed off to Saquon Barkley for a 6-yard touchdown on third-and-1.
The tush push has received more scrutiny this season after the unsuccessful bid to ban it. The idea that the play is too difficult to officiate has gained credence with videos circulating on social media showing false starts going uncalled.
“It’s really the pushing and the pulling and the offsides, people jumping, people leaving before the ball’s snapped,” Packers defensive end Micah Parsons said. “There’s no other play where there’s this much discrepancy on a play in the NFL.”
The Eagles have pointed out that every team has the opportunity to attempt this play. Most simply aren’t quite good enough at executing it.
“It’s a precision play,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said during the offseason while the ban was under discussion. “It’s very practiced. We devote a lot of resources to the tush push. We think we have an unusual use of personnel because we have a quarterback that can squat over 600 pounds and an offensive line that’s filled with All-Pro players.”
Indeed, the Packers even used a version of the tush push a handful of times in 2023, but eventually decided the play’s risks outweighed the potential rewards.
“For me, it’s always, do you want your quarterback subject to some of those hits that he could potentially face in those situations?” LaFleur said.
In preparing for this game, Hafley has studied the teams that have defended the tush push the best. The Packers realize there’s only one foolproof way to stop it.
“The key to defending it (is) don’t let them get third-and-short, obviously,” defensive tackle Colby Wooden said.
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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Devin Farrell guides Rhode Island to 34-20 victory over Elon The Associated Press ELON, N.C.
ELON, N.C. (AP) — Devin Farrell ran for a score before throwing two touchdown passes and Rhode Island beat Elon 34-20 on Saturday.
Luke Barnes kicked a 50-yard field goal on the game's opening possession to give Elon the lead. Farrell capped a 16-play 96-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run and Rhode Island (8-2, 6-0 Coastal Athletic Association), tied for No. 10 in the FCS coaches poll, led 7-3 after one quarter.
Garth White kicked a 52-yard field goal and Greg Gaines caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Farrell to stretch the Rams' advantage to 17-3 midway through the second quarter. Farrell threw a short first-down pass to Aboraa Kwarteng and he turned it into a 70-yard touchdown for a 21-point lead.
Landen Clark tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Fuhrmann on the final play of the half to cut it to 24-10.
White kicked a 43-yard field goal early, but DJ James-Hamilton returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown to pull the Phoenix within 27-17 after three quarters.
Alex McClelland scored on a 6-yard run on the first play of the fourth to cap the scoring for the Rams.
Farrell finished with 309 yards on 24-for-30 passing. Kwarteng had four receptions for 124 yards and Gaines had six for 85. Antwain Littleton Jr. rushed for 101 yards on 20 carries.
Clark completed 12 of 18 passes for 104 yards for Elon (4-6, 2-4). Backup Marco Lainez added 91 yards on 6-for-13 passing.
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Strike a pose: Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez has another big game and could be in Heisman talk The Associated Press LUBBOCK, Texas
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez indicated he was somewhat coerced by teammates into striking a Heisman Trophy pose during another dominating defensive performance by the ninth-ranked Red Raiders.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder with a distinctive mustache now copied by Texas Tech fans should at least be in the conversation for college football's highest individual honor.
After Rodriguez had 14 tackles and two takeaways for the Red Raiders in their 29-7 win over previously undefeated No. 8 BYU on Saturday, three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who was at the game during a bye week for the Kansas City Chiefs — posted on social media: “Get him to New York! @HeismanTrophy.”
For all the Air Raid offenses that have blown through Texas Tech in recent decades, including Mahomes throwing for 11,252 yards and 93 touchdowns from 2014-16, no Texas Tech player has brought a Heisman Trophy back to the South Plains. Now, the linebacker who began his college career as a quarterback at Virginia could make a strong bid.
Rodriguez, the FBS leader with seven forced fumbles, had his third interception of the season in the third quarter when he reached out and tipped the ball to himself. He struck the pose after that play.
“My guys, they wanted me to hit it. Just a rush of adrenaline," Rodriguez said of his pose.
Then in the fourth quarter, Rodriguez added a fumble recovery when he jumped on a loose ball after BYU true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw a backward pass while under pressure.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire isn't shy about touting a Heisman campaign for Rodriguez, whose wife is a U.S. Army helicopter pilot stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas.
“The Heisman is given to the best football player. It’s not given to the best quarterback; they have awards for that,” McGuire said. “If you can’t say that Jacob Rodriguez, at his position, is not playing at an elite level, as good anybody in the country … That kid deserves to be part of that.”
Rodriguez said he and McGuire have talked Heisman — “a lot” — and he appreciates his coach’s support.
“Just knowing he has my back and I have his back,” the linebacker said.
Rodriguez and defensive end David Bailey, who went into Saturday with an FBS-high 11½ sacks, have helped transform Tech’s defense from one that last season allowed 34.8 points per game to this year’s 12.6 and leads the nation in rush defense.
The Red Raiders (9-1, 6-1 No. 8 CFP) held BYU to a season-low 255 total yards, only 106 in the first half when Tech built a 13-0 lead. The Cougars (8-1, 5-1, No. 7 CFP) came in averaging 433.4 yards and 36.3 points a game.
Big 12 rushing leader LJ Martin was held to 35 yards, well below his 98.6-yard average. Martin sat out the second half at Iowa State two weeks ago with a shoulder injury, and BYU coach Kalani Sitake said Martin wasn’t at full strength.
“One thing that I talk to (defensive players) about is dominate the front. We want to stop the run,” McGuire said. “That’s the No. 1 running back in the Big 12 yardage-wise, LJ. And that quarterback has been electric with his feet. When you do that, you have a chance to rush the passer, and we did.”
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Antwan Raymond runs for 240 yards in Rutger's 35-20 win over Maryland EVERETT MERRILL The Associated Press The Associated Press PISCATAWAY, N.J.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Antwan Raymond rushed for a career-high 240 yards and Athan Kaliakmanis passed for four touchdowns to keep Rutgers’ post-season hopes alive in a 35-20 win over Maryland on Saturday.
Rutgers (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) plays at Ohio State in two weeks before hosting Penn State on Nov. 29th to try and secure a bowl bid for the third straight season.
Raymond's 240 yards are the most in the Big Ten this season and the third highest in the country this season behind Cameron Dickey of Texas Tech and Ahmad Hardy of Missouri. The sophomore ran for a TD and carried the ball 41 times for a 5.9-yard average. It's the third highest yards gained in Rutgers’ program history. Ray Rice holds the top two rushing marks for the school.
Raymond, who has taken over the bulk of the carries for Rutgers since Kyle Monangai graduated and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in this years' NFL draft, now has 1,000 yards for the season. Raymond's 41 carries are tied with Savon Huggins and Jawan Jamison for the most in Scarlet Knights history.
This is the first time in school history that Rutgers has consecutive 1,000-yard rushers in a season. Monangai ran for 1,279 yards in 2024.
“It’s definitely a special, special moment for sure," said Raymond. “All the work that we put in, not just me, but the coaches, all the other running backs, all the work we put in.”
“I’m not surprised about anything that’s going my way, because I know I work so hard for this. I put my whole life into this. I come from really far away, (Quebec, Canada). I left my family, so I think that I’ve done a lot of sacrifices to be here."
There was an inkling this could be a big day for Raymond from the beginning. He set the tone by running the ball six straight times up the middle for 30 yards in the Scarlet Knights' first possession.
“Every game, we anticipated really wanting to run the football,” said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, “but to say that I anticipated 41 carries, that would not be true.”
Maryland (4-5, 1-5) has lost five straight.
Ian Strong caught three TD passes for the Scarlet Knights and Kaliakmanis passed for 229 yards. Strong's 14-yard TD reception in the third quarter increased the Scarlet Knights' lead to 28-17
Maryland's freshman quarterback Malik Washington ran for 164 yards on just eight carries, including a 73-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game.
“We are a very young team,” said Maryland coach Michael Locksley. “The development of a young team and an inexperienced team sometimes has its ups and downs and we’re in the middle of a tough stretch for this group and the young guys, as I told them in the locker, don’t understand that now we’re running on limited opportunities for some veteran players that have done some good things around here."
The Terrapins managed 83 total yards in the second half.
Takeaways
Maryland: The Terrapins have lost four of their last five games by a total of 18 points.
Rutgers: This was the Scarlet Knights most balanced game of the season. They were 9 of 12 on third down, passed for 229 yards and ran for 256 yards.
Up next
Maryland is at Illinois Nov. 15th. After a bye week, Rutgers is at Ohio State Nov. 22d.
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Packers to face off with Eagles in rematch of playoff game from last season By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers’ playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last season offered a stark reminder of how far they must go to catch up with the NFL’s top teams.
Ten months later, the Packers will get an indication of how far they’ve come since.
Green Bay hosts Philadelphia on Monday night after losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles twice last season. The Packers opened their 2024 campaign with a 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Brazil before falling to them 22-10 at Philadelphia in an NFC wild-card playoff game
“Obviously, two losses against them last year, so it’s going to be a test,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “We know that.”
Both teams are on pace to return to the playoffs.
The Packers (5-2-1) gained star power since that postseason loss by acquiring defensive end Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys shortly before the season. Green Bay leads the NFC North but has endured surprising losses to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers .
“I think they play hard,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “They play with good fundamentals. They have good schemes with good, talented players. A lot of respect. A lot of good players throughout every layer of their defense, a lot of good players through every layer of their offense and special teams.”
Philadelphia (6-2) owns a commanding lead in the NFC East and shares the conference’s best record with Tampa Bay, Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams.
With such a crowd of teams at the top of the NFC standings, this game could help determine playoff positioning. For the Packers, it’s also a measuring stick.
“That’s exactly what it is,” Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden said. “It’s a new opp. That’s all you can ask for is an opportunity. They’re the defending champs.”
Eagles’ new faces
The Eagles were busy around the trade deadline and added some key pieces, including edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from Miami.
They also landed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander from Baltimore. Alexander played seven years with the Packers before his stint with the Ravens this season.
The trio of bye-week trades started with the acquisition of nickel cornerback Michael Carter II from the New York Jets.
Brandon Graham also returned to the Eagles after the 37-year-old defensive end concluded his brief retirement. Graham has 76 1/2 career sacks to rank third in team history.
Tush push drama
Green Bay was the team that proposed a ban on the tush push that the Eagles have used so effectively in short-yardage situations for years.
A ban on offensive players pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping or encircling a runner was supported by a 22-10 vote — two votes short of the three-quarters majority required under league bylaws.
“The key to defending it (is) don’t let them get third-and-short, obviously,” Wooden said.
Losing Kraft
The Packers will be playing their first full game since losing star tight end Tucker Kraft to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Kraft had 32 catches for a team-high 489 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Luke Musgrave is likely to take over as the first-string tight end. The Packers took Musgrave in the second round and Kraft in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Count on Brown
A.J. Brown is still an Eagle after rumors swirled around the trade deadline that the franchise was open to trading the wide receiver.
Brown missed the Giants game with a hamstring injury and has been vocal — both in the locker room and on social media — about his unhappiness over his decreased production this season. Brown has 29 catches for 395 yards.
Brown has twice this season had less than 10 yards receiving in a game, and the five-time 1,000-yard receiver is well off that pace.
“I think that when you’re trying to be a great team, it’s hard to trade great players, and A.J. Brown’s a great player,” general manager Howie Roseman said. “He wears the ‘C’ for a reason. He’s an important part of this team, of this organization.”
Packers’ kicking issues
Green Bay's Brandon McManus has gone 4 of 7 on field-goal attempts since returning from a quadriceps injury that sidelined him for two games.
The Packers still have kicker Lucas Havrisik on their active roster. Havrisik booted a franchise-record 61-yard field goal while McManus was sidelined.
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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Seahawks eager to make life difficult for another Cardinals QB in veteran Jacoby Brissett By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press RENTON, Wash.
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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