👋 Good morning! We’ve made it to the end of the week, again, and that means Cardinals football is back on the horizon after a short week.

It was nice to see Jalen Green in a Suns uniform last night. And how about those Diamondbacks Silver Sluggers? Surely a team with three award-winning hitters was enough to make the playoffs… right?

Let’s get to it!

— Alex D’Agostino, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Brissett Faces Toughest Opponent Yet

The Cardinals’ QB controversy finally reached what feels like the closest thing possible to a conclusion this week. Jacoby Brissett was named the starter for Sunday’s matchup with the NFC West-leading Seahawks, and Kyler Murray was placed on Injured Reserve as he continues to work on his mid-foot sprain.

Speculation has, of course, run wild about the factors going into this. Some think this move might have happened regardless of Murray’s health, while others point out that these types of injuries can take significant time to heal.

Regardless, Arizona’s offense has looked more than competent with the 32-year-old backup in there. That manifested with a 27-17 win over the Cowboys on Monday Night Football this week — a streak-ending win the Cardinals simply had to have.

But this Seahawks team could be the Cardinals’ toughest challenge yet for both sides of the football.

Seattle is allowing only 218 passing yards per game to opposing offenses. That’s not exactly a top-five number, but it’s a lot less than what Brissett has been averaging (just over 286 yards per game).

Where the Seahawks are the sturdiest is in run defense. They’ve allowed 85.9 rushing yards per contest — second-best in the NFL.

On one hand, that could present an advantage to Arizona. Though the Cardinals have been a run-first team in this era, they certainly haven’t been this season. Murray still leads the team in rushing yards, with 173, and he hasn’t played in three games.

A Rivalry Lost

Believe it or not, Cardinals-Seahawks used to be one of the better NFC West rivalries. It just hasn’t felt like that lately.

Zane Gonzalez’s walk-off field goal on Monday night, Drew Stanton dancing down the sideline, Murray’s rookie year win in Seattle — even the nightmare that was the infamous 6-6 tie brings back memories of what was once an exciting matchup.

It used to feel like anything could happen. But the Cardinals have not beaten the Seahawks under Jonathan Gannon. They are 0-5 since Gannon took over, and 0-8 since Colt McCoy carved up Seattle’s defense under Kliff Kingsbury.

Arizona needs a win for many reasons, but it’s time to return this divisional matchup to its roots.

Cardinals Key: Limit Edge Pressure

The Seahawks have one of the scarier defensive fronts in football. While interior pressure has generally been the issue for Murray, it’s been pressure off the edge that has hurt the Cardinals’ offense with Brissett under center.

Brissett’s size and his ability to deliver passes while taking hits in the pocket have allowed him to maintain his accuracy in the face of interior pressure, but it’s been tough sledding for Jonah Williams at right tackle.

Just two games prior, Micah Parsons dominated the Cardinals’ OL off the edge, picking up a season-high three sacks and generally wreaking havoc. Seattle may not have a Parsons, but they do have a Leonard Williams — ever heard of him?

Williams is technically a defensive end, but he’s also a menace in the interior. He’s been a true thorn in the Cardinals’ side, and he has a young stud next to him in Byron Murphy II. The Cardinals’ OL has struggled this season — they simply have to perform better if Arizona wants to have a chance on Sunday.

If the Cardinals want to run play-action like they did against the Cowboys, they have to contain the edge.

Quick Hits

Silver Snakes: It’s hardware season in MLB, and the Diamondbacks took home some trophies last night. Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo each won their respective position’s NL Silver Slugger Award — the first time in franchise history Arizona has had three such winners, and the first time a shortstop has won it for the D-backs.

This was no small feat, either. Perdomo was up against Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner, while Carroll joined Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker. D-backs fans know very well how good these players are — but it’s nice to know the MLB world does, too.

Green Day: The Suns took a resounding 115-102 win over Bradley Beal and the Los Angeles Clippers last night, and they were led by their newest member, as Jalen Green dropped 29 points on 10-20 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in his first game for Phoenix. Green led the team in scoring despite playing just 23 minutes.

Mark Williams had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Devin Booker had 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Oh, and Beal had five points on 2-14 shooting in 20 minutes, in case you were wondering.

Stay Hot: Wildcat hoops gets a bit of an easier matchup than the reigning national champions tonight, as they take on the Utah Tech Trailblazers at 7:00 p.m. at McKale Center in Tucson. Arizona hopes to begin their regular season 2-0.

Meanwhile, Wildcat football plays its homecoming game against Kansas on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. — a winnable matchup, though nothing in the Big 12 is a guarantee.

Tip of the Cap by Branded Bills

Thanks for the pun inspiration, Derek.