In Glendale, the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks will line up on Thursday night with identical 2-1 records, though how they got here couldn’t feel more different.

Seattle looks like a team starting to build momentum. After a narrow Week 1 loss, the Seahawks handled the Steelers and Saints with relative ease, leaning on a steadying offense and a special teams unit that’s been among the best in the league. Arizona’s path has been shakier. The Cardinals escaped their first two games more than they won them, and last week in San Francisco, they let a fourth-quarter lead unravel.

The standings say these teams are even. The performances suggest otherwise.

Let’s break down the five biggest storylines you’ll want to keep an eye on before the kickoff.

The story behind Sam Darnold

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