If Alex Smith thought he had it rough against Seahawks …

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers faced one of the better defenses in the NFL a week ago. And that, more than anything, is the reason the passing game struggled.At least that's the theory of 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, who pointed to what the Seattle Seahawks have done this season to some strong passing attacks."There are people that expect the same thing over and over again," Smith said Thursday. "That was a good defense we played on Thursday night. We played them on a short week. You look at what they did versus a lot of good quarterbacks this year.REWIND: Alex Smith Q&A -- On his injured finger and his confidence
"Look what they did against Aaron (Rodgers), they beat Tom Brady. Look what they did against (Tony) Romo."Let's look at what the Seahawks' defense against the opposing quarterback through seven games:Week 1 vs. Cardinals: John Skelton 51.0 rating (Seahawks lost 20-16)
Week 2 vs. Cowboys: Tony Romo 74.0 rating (Seahawks won 27-7)
Week 3 vs. Packers: Aaron Rodgers 81.5 rating (Seahawks won 14-12)
Week 4 vs. Rams: Sam Bradford 63.3 rating (Seahawks lost 19-13)
Week 5 vs. Panthers: Cam Newton 56.8 rating (Seahawks won 16-12)
Week 6 vs. Patriots: Tom Brady 79.3 rating (Seahawks won 24-23)
Week 7 vs. 49ers: Alex Smith 74.5 rating (Seahawks lost 13-6)Opposing quarterbacks have a 79.2 passer rating against the Seahawks defense with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.But the 49ers aren't getting any breaks this week, either.On Monday night, the 49ers face the Arizona Cardinals, who feature one of the better pass defenses in the NFL.They feature a good front three, including Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett, a strong pass rush of Daryl Washington (six sacks) and O'Brien Schofield (four sacks), cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and William Gay, and experienced safeties Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes.Week 1 vs. Seahawks: Russell Wilson 62.5 rating (Cardinals won 20-16)
Week 2 vs. Patriots: Tom Brady 79.6 rating (Cardinals won 20-18)
Week 3 vs. Eagles: Michael Vick 64.8 rating (Cardinals won 27-6)
Week 4 vs. Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill rating (Cardinals won 24-21)
Week 5 vs. Rams: Sam Bradford 69.7 rating (Cardinals lost 17-3)
Week 6 vs. Bills: Ryan Fitzpatrick 68.9 rating (Cardinals lost 19-16)
Week 7 vs. Vikings: Christian Ponder 35.5 rating (Cardinals lost 21-14)The Cardinals are on a three-game losing streak, but don't fault the pass defense for those defeats. For the season, opposing quarterbacks have compiled a 67.4 rating with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.