The Seahawks overwhelmed the Cardinals 31-7, with quarterback Drew Lock connecting for three touchdowns to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in his first start in nearly two years. Per ESPN, Lock prepared extensively for the game, watching additional film and studying the opponent ahead of the matchup.
Smith-Njigba's performance was the centerpiece of Seattle's victory. Pro Football Talk noted that "it may not matter who's playing quarterback for Seattle, as long as he has Smith-Njigba to go to." Yahoo Sports reported that the Seahawks broke down Arizona with a second-half surge, while the Cardinals' offense struggled significantly in the home opener loss.
One outlet reported that the win set a new Seahawks franchise record, though the specific record was not detailed in available summaries. The Cardinals were also without nose tackle Brandon Pili for portions of the game after he was evaluated for a concussion in the first quarter, per Field Gulls.