Jaxon Smith-Njigba catches three touchdowns in Seahawks' 31-7 win over Cardinals

Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught three touchdown passes from Drew Lock, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 31-7 on Sunday.

Seattle's first score set the tone. Lock found Smith-Njigba for an 82-yard touchdown, a strike that turned a competitive opening into an immediate field-position advantage. Arizona answered with Trey McBride's two-yard touchdown catch, but the Cardinals could not sustain that response.

Smith-Njigba scored again on a seven-yard catch, then added a 12-yard touchdown later in the game. Lock's three scoring throws produced the central story of Seattle's offense, while the Seahawks' defense kept Arizona from adding another touchdown after the opening answer.

Jason Myers supplied a 33-yard field goal, and AJ Barner added a one-yard rushing touchdown. Those scores gave Seattle a second-half cushion while Arizona's offense struggled to create another red-zone possession. The Seahawks' 31 points came from explosive passing, a short rushing finish and steady kicking.

Lock completed a strong first start while filling in for the injured Sam Darnold. The 82-yard strike changed the game early, but the two shorter touchdown catches mattered just as much because they kept Seattle's lead growing after Arizona had settled into its defensive plan.

Arizona remained within one score only briefly. Once Smith-Njigba found the end zone for the second time, Seattle had the margin to play with its defense and field position. The Cardinals' lone touchdown became an isolated response instead of the start of a comeback.

Seattle improved to 2-0, while Arizona fell to 1-1. Smith-Njigba supplied the decisive production, and Lock's three touchdown passes gave the Seahawks a clean road win built around one receiver's repeated success. The result also gives Seattle a clear early answer to the uncertainty around its quarterback spot.

Seattle entered Week 2 at 1-0 and improved to 2-0. Arizona entered 1-0 and fell to 1-1, so the result was a setback rather than an 0-2 start. The Seahawks also extended their winning streak over the Cardinals to 10 games, dating to 2022, according to ESPN's game report. Smith-Njigba's three scores came in different shapes: the opening 82-yard strike changed the field immediately, the seven-yard catch restored Seattle's lead after McBride's answer, and the 12-yard reception completed the receiver's afternoon. Lock finished with 235 passing yards and three touchdowns in his first start replacing the injured Darnold. Seattle scored the final 24 points, which explains why Arizona's early touchdown never developed into a competitive second half. Barner's short rushing score and Myers' field goal supplied the final support for a defense that allowed only seven points.