No Minshew Magic for the Cardinals against the Seahawks as QB struggles in his first game as starter

SEATTLE (AP) — A week after an improbable comeback win, Minshew Magic vanished against Seattle.

Gardner Minshew and the Arizona Cardinals couldn’t repeat the formula that worked against the Dallas Cowboys and their porous defense, when Minshew took over for the struggling Jacoby Brissett in the third quarter, threw three touchdown passes and led Arizona to a 33-30 overtime victory .

Arizona promptly named Minshew its starting QB and traded Brissett to Baltimore . But Minshew and the Cardinals were shut down all day in a 17-3 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, Arizona's 11th straight setback against Seattle.

“Frustrating, obviously,” Minshew said. “Word to describe the whole day.”

Minshew completed 21 of 30 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Seattle sacked him three times and pressured him constantly.

The Cardinals finished with 198 yards of offense and were 4 for 13 on third down. Coach Mike LaFleur didn't blame the veteran QB.

“It was a collective effort to only score three points,” LeFleur said.

Minshew earned a reputation for dramatic, unexpected wins early in his career. On Sunday, he took Arizona into the red zone just twice.

Arizona kicked a field goal on its first series. Later, trailing by 14 with over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Minshew drove the Cardinals to Seattle’s 2, but his pass to Trey McBride on fourth down fell incomplete.

“We were a little bit off, one way or another on a lot of our plays,” Minshew said. “And against a good team like that, you're not going to have that many chances.”

With Brissett now preparing to start for the Ravens, rookie Carson Beck is Minshew's backup.

Beck, drafted in the third round, has yet to play a snap for Arizona. LaFleur was asked if he'd given any thought to making Beck the starter.

“No,” LaFleur said.

The 30-year-old Minshew signed a $5.75 million, one-year deal with Arizona after spending last season as a backup in Kansas City. He replaced the injured Patrick Mahomes in Week 16 but suffered a season-ending knee injury on the third play of the game.

A Pro Bowl selection in 2023 with the Indianapolis Colts, Minshew has a 17-31 record as a starter.

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