Things looked bleak for the Seattle Seahawks early against the New England Patriots. The Seahawks lost quarterback Sam Darnold to injury at the end of their first series.
With Drew Lock replacing him, the Seahawks didn’t score in the first half. The team still trailed by seven going into the fourth quarter.
But everything changed when Lock found the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, for a conversion on fourth-and-1. Lock pass did more than move the chains; Smith-Njigba ran away from the Patriots defense and turned the play into a touchdown.
“I was happy it was a pass play,” Smith-Njigba said of the fourth-down call. “They thought it was a run. I believe they sent a blitz. My job was to find the zone.
“Drew did a great job finding me, and then after that, just do what I do. Try to get up field. Protect the ball and great up hill blocking by our tight ends.”
The star receiver spoke highly of all three units in the 13-10 Seahawks victory. Seattle’s dark-side defense picked off Drake Maye three times in the second half.
But Smith-Njigba particularly stressed how important Lock was in the victory.
“It’s tough losing [No.] 14 (Darnold). He’s the head of the snake. But we have each other’s backs,” Smith-Njigba said. “We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing. He’s done it time and time again. We just have to have each other’s backs, like I’m saying.
“I’m super proud of everybody.”
Drew Lock Comes Off Bench to Lead Seahawks Over Patriots
Lock wasn’t necessarily terrific. But he did a lot of great things, particularly when it mattered most.
In the second quarter, Lock completed a 21-yard pass that nearly converted a third-and-long. The Seahawks tried to go for fourth-and-short but committed a false start penalty, which stalled the drive.
That play didn’t tip the scale in Seattle’s favor. But Lock’s touchdown throw to Smith-Njigba began to do that.
As the receiver explained, he was just happy the call on the team’s second attempt at a fourth-down conversation was a pass. Smith-Njigba caught the throw three yards beyond the first-down line and then scooted 41 yards to the end zone.
Smith-Njigba had a big game, posting eight catches for 122 yards with the score. That was quite the rebound from only 27 receiving yards which he had in the Super Bowl.
All but one reception and 13 yards for Smith-Njibga came on Lock passes.
Mike Macdonald Gives a Shoutout to Lock
Macdonald covered all the bases about his team’s gritty win in the introduction of his press conference after beating the Patriots. He made sure, though, to give special props to the backup quarterback.
“Just really, really, incredibly proud of our team… think about all the things that were going on. I think the fourth play, we lost Sam [Darnold],” said Macdonald. “First-time play-caller, I thought Fleury did a great job of adjusting on the fly, our offensive staff.
“Drew Lock deserves a gigantic shoutout for playing clean football.”
Lock averaged 8.5 yards per pass and didn’t throw an interception in the win. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards with the touchdown.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Speaks out on Drew Lock Leading Seahawks to Win Over Patriots