Seahawks-Cardinals features 3 of the NFL’s top players at their respective positions

A top-5 running back, a top-5 receiver, a top-5 quarterback, and Kyler Murray.

The Seattle Seahawks’ current winning streak started against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6. With a little luck (and a solid game plan), the win streak will continue in Week 9 and the Seahawks will fly home with their bird bros. firmly in the rear view mirror.

Just one thing stands in the way …

DeAndre Hopkins.

That’s not to say that the rest of the Cardinals team can be overlooked; it’s really just an acknowledgement that D-Hop is what some would call an X-factor.

The last time Seattle faced Arizona, Hopkins was serving the final game of his 6-game suspension for cheating using PEDs.

Since then, he’s been targeted 27 times and has caught 22 of those passes for 262 yards and 1 touchdown.

And, oh, what a touchdown it was.

Here’s a deeper look at Hopkins’ numbers the last 2 weeks:

• The 27 targets represent 37% of Arizona’s pass attempts in Weeks 7 and 8.
• His 81.5% catch rate puts him in the top 5 league wide.
• The per-game average of 131 yards laps the entire league with only 3 other receivers averaging more than 100 yards per game. Tyreek Hill is second at 120.1, followed by Stefon Diggs (109.1) and Justin Jefferson (107.4).

Bottom line: He’s going to be a challenge for our young corners (and our safeties) all. game. long.

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Fear not though …

Seattle has its own X-factor: Kenneth Walker III – aka K9.

Since taking over as the starter in Week 6, Seattle’s new lead dog has carried the ball 62 times for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns.

• K9’s average of 105.0 yards per game over that span is neck-and-neck with the pace set by the league’s #1 rusher, Nick Chubb, who has an average of 105.1 through 8 games.
• Since Week 6, only Travis Etienne Jr. (356) and Derrick Henry (343 in 2 games) have more rushing yards than K9’s 315.

Expanding the look at Kenneth Walker III to include the full slate of games this season:

• Only 4 running backs have more touchdowns than Walker’s 5: Nick Chubb (8), Jamaal Williams (8), Derrick Henry (7), and Josh Jacobs (6).
• Only 2 running backs – Travis Etienne Jr. and Tony Pollard – have more runs of 40+ yards.
• K9’s 5 runs of 20+ yards trail only Nick Chubb (8), Saquon Barkley (6), and Travis Etienne Jr. (6).
• Kenneth Walker III’s 74-yard run against the Chargers is the league’s 3rd-longest run through the midpoint of the season.

Bottom line: Seattle’s lead dog is going to get fed on Sunday.

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Turning our attention to the quarterbacks …

Each QB has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards through the first 8 weeks of the season. Each has been sacked 19 times.

And that’s where the similarities end.

Kyler Murray

• 325 pass attempts, 215 completions, respectable 66.2% completion rate
• 1,993 passing yards (249.1 per game, 6.1 per attempt)
• 10 touchdowns vs. 6 interceptions
• QBR of 48.3 (tied for 18th) with a passer rating of 85.3 (21st)

Passing stats are only part of the story with Murray though since he is the definition of a mobile quarterback. Through 8 games, he has 51 carries for 299 yards (37.4 per game) with 2 touchdowns and 17 first downs.

One hundred of those yards came against Seattle 3 weeks ago – on only 10 carries.

Note to Clint Hurtt: Make Murray try to beat you with his arm, not his legs.

Geno Smith

• 249 pass attempts, 181 completions, and a league-leading completion rate of 72.7%
• 1,924 passing yards (240.5 per game, 7.7 per attempt)
• 13 touchdowns (5th-most) vs. only 3 interceptions (3rd-fewest among players who’ve thrown at least 200 passes)
• QBR of 66.6 (4th-best) with a passer rating of 107.2 (3rd-best)

It’s also worth noting that Geno has 35 carries for 158 yards with 1 touchdown and 10 first downs – which is pretty impressive since he’s not generally considered a mobile quarterback.

Bottom line: One QB is quietly lining up MVP votes while the other one is humming “Squad Up” in the huddle.

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It should be a fun game on Sunday.

Go Hawks!