Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals' struggles versus Seahawks tight ends to be tested by Graham

Published Nov. 11, 2015 12:08 p.m. ET

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The Seattle Seahawks had their way with the Arizona Cardinals during a season sweep in 2014.

As the combined score of 54-9 suggests, the Seahawks dominated the Cardinals in all phases, a trend Seattle hopes to continue when it hosts Arizona on Sunday night in an NFC West showdown.

Granted, the Cardinals played each of those matchups without starting quarterback Carson Palmer, but one issue on the other side of the ball for Arizona was an inability to slow the Seahawks' tight ends. And now Seattle has Jimmy Graham at the position as it attempts to cut into the Cardinals' two-game lead atop the division.

“Jimmy’s a great player,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians told reporters. “I think it took him a while to find his role. He’s started to catch a lot of balls. It still starts with (running back) Marshawn (Lynch) and (quarterback) Russell (Wilson). We’ve had a little problem covering tight-ends on bootlegs in the last couple games with them.”

The Seahawks exploited the Cardinals with a less-heralded collection of tight ends a year ago. The trio of Tony Moeaki, Cooper Helfet and Luke Willson combined for seven catches for 82 yards and the game's only TD in a 19-3 victory on Nov. 23. In the rematch one month later, Willson torched Arizona for three catches for 139 yards and a pair of scores. 

“The biggest thing is just staying disciplined, doing your job,” Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell said. “They’re too good. Their whole game plan is to do the same things a couple different ways and see ... who’s going to blow their assignment.”

Graham, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason, leads Seattle with 38 catches and has seen his role expand over the past three games. He has 17 receptions during that span and was targeted at least 10 times in two of the three contests.

“Russell Wilson has an extra playmaker over there,” Arizona safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “It was just tough trying to stop him and Marshawn, but now we have to kind of stop a three-headed monster. I’m sure (Graham’s) targets will go up. They’ll start scheming and game-planning to get him in the end zone much more. We have to be ready, man.”

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