DeMarcus Lawrence scores 2 defensive TDs and Seahawks dominate Cardinals in 44-22 win

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SEATTLE (AP) — Before Sunday, DeMarcus Lawrence had scored two touchdowns in 148 NFL games over 12 seasons.

With a couple of huge assists from Tyrice Knight, Lawrence doubled his career total by the end of a dominant first half for the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the Arizona Cardinals 44-22. Lawrence returned two fumbles for touchdowns, and became the sixth player since at least 1991 with two defensive touchdowns in the first half of a game.

“You can’t draw that up,” Lawrence said. “T-Knight did a great job running the play exactly how coach (Mike) Macdonald drew it up. I was the lucky recipient of the two forced fumbles. So, I’ll take it every day.”

NFC West-leading Seattle (7-2) beat its division rival for the ninth straight time dating to 2021, and this one was hardly competitive. The Seahawks finished with five sacks while playing without injured starters Julian Love, Josh Jobe, Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed.

“We had guys step up, and nobody flinched,” Macdonald said. “And it took all 70 again. That’s how we roll.”

The Seahawks got going quickly. Sam Darnold rolled out to his left and found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 43-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game.

“He put it right on the money,” Smith-Njigba said.

It only got worse for the Cardinals (3-6) from there.

On Arizona’s first possession, Knight walloped quarterback Jacoby Brissett and jarred the ball loose. Lawrence scooped it up off a bounce and ran untouched 34 yards for his first touchdown.

A 9-yard rushing touchdown by George Holani gave the Seahawks 21 points in the first quarter, which equaled the franchise scoring record for the opening period. Seattle also scored 21 points in the first quarter of a 44-13 rout of New Orleans on Sept. 21.

On the Cardinals’ first drive of the second quarter, Knight again knocked the ball out of Brissett’s hand, and Lawrence caught it in stride as it bounced off the turf. The 254-pound defensive end cruised to the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown that gave Seattle a commanding 28-0 lead.

“That was like déjà vu,” receiver Cooper Kupp said. “It was crazy. It might have been the same exact defensive call.”

The Seahawks, who also led Washington 28-0 a week earlier, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to do that in consecutive weeks.

“It’s not going to happen every time,” Macdonald said. “When it does, you’re appreciative of the guys' effort.”

Zach Charbonnet rushed for a 6-yard touchdown and Jason Myers tacked on a 46-yard field goal to make it 38-7 at halftime, the Seahawks’ highest-scoring half of the season. Arizona scored on a 4-yard run by Greg Dortch.

The Seahawks were so far ahead that Darnold only needed to attempt 12 passes, completing 10 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also lost two fumbles, but that hardly slowed Seattle. Smith-Njigba, the NFL leader in receiving yards, had six catches for 93 yards.

Brissett threw second-half TD passes to Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr., and Myers added two more field goals in the fourth quarter.

Arizona lost for the sixth time in seven games, while Seattle improved to 3-2 at home, equaling its win total at Lumen Field in 2024.

“Just got behind early versus a good team,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “It’s tough to dig yourself out, so not a lot of good from out of that game.”

Smith-Njigba has 1,041 yards through nine games, becoming the first NFL receiver to eclipse 1,000 this season. The third-year wideout became the eighth player in franchise history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

“I think it’s a credit to the work that he’s put in,” Darnold said. “Not only this offseason, but throughout his entire career.”

He also joined Antonio Brown (2014 with Pittsburgh) and Michael Irvin (1995 with Dallas) as the only players with at least 75 receiving yards in each of his first nine games.

Rashid Shaheed, acquired in a trade with New Orleans on Tuesday, made his Seahawks debut. The fourth-year wideout caught a pass for 3 yards, ran the ball twice for 20 yards and returned three punts.

Shaheed played under Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak last year, and Kupp said the Cardinals' defense had to respect Shaheed's big-play ability.

“I felt like I came in prepared and I did a good job throughout the week,” Shaheed said, “talking to all my coaches so I could be ready for the moment. It was fun.”

McBride had a season-high 127 receiving yards. Brissett, who has targeted McBride 46 times over the last four weeks, said he could be the best tight end in the league.

“The amount of respect that they gave him on the other side, they tried doubling him as well and putting their corners on him and giving him a whole bunch of different looks,” Brissett said. “He made the most of a lot of his opportunities.”

Cardinals: S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ankle), T Jonah Williams (shoulder), WR Simi Fehoko (wrist), DT Walter Nolen III (knee), RB Bam Knight (ankle) and DE Darius Robinson (groin) were hurt during the game. None of them returned.

Seahawks: Smith-Njigba returned after being evaluated for a concussion. C Jalen Sundell injured his knee and did not return.

Cardinals: Host San Francisco next Sunday.

Seahawks: Visit the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday in a key divisional showdown.

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