The Seattle Seahawks took a major hit early in the game against the New England Patriots. Starting quarterback Sam Darnold left the game due to a hip injury; he was initially ruled questionable, but the team later ruled him out.
Heading into halftime, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald shared a quick message on how the team needs to turn their situation around.
“We got to pick him up. We got faith in Drew [Lock] and he’s settled into the game now so we should be able to execute our game plan,” Macdonald told NBC Sports’ Kaylee Hartung (h/t Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein). “But that’s why we say 12 as one. We’ve got to pick him up.”
“But that’s why we say 12 as 1. We got to pick him up.”
Seattle will miss what Darnold brings to the offense, given that last season he posted a 99.6 passer rating with 4,720 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in 20 games across the regular season and playoffs in 2025, per StatMuse.
How Seattle’s Offense Has Looked Without Sam Darnold
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted that new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury is in a challenging position, as he has to call plays in his first game without Darnold.
“Reminder that this is Brian Fleury’s debut as an offensive coordinator,” Henderson wrote on X on Sept. 9. “He’s never called plays in an actual game before today, and now he’s doing so without his starting quarterback, as Sam Darnold is questionable to return with a hip injury.”
In the first half, the Seahawks struggled, scoring zero points as the Patriots defense kept Seattle in check. Lock went 6-for-8 on his pass attempts in the first half for 51 passing yards, and he was sacked once.
On the other hand, Jadarian Price was a bright spot for the offense as he had six carries for 42 rushing yards.
With Lock now under center, the Seahawks will likely have to lean on Price, who already has the task of replacing Kenneth Walker III and, to an extent, Zach Charbonnet, who will miss the early part of the 2026 NFL season as he remains on the PUP list. Moreover, the running back is drawing praise from NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“It’s only a quarter of football, but Jadarian Price does not go down on first contact,” Schultz wrote on X on Sept. 9. “What a tough runner. Not surprised so many people in Seattle were giddy about him all summer.”
Seahawks’ Drew Lock on Being a Backup QB
During the preseason, Lock noted the pressure that comes with playing the QB position when giving advice to Jalen Milroe. Lock will now need to do his best to ensure that the Seahawks offense doesn’t drop off with Darnold gone at least for this game.
“I think that’s just the constant reminder that we play a special position,” Lock said on Aug. 28. “We always have the ball in our hands, so everybody’s looking at us. It’s also 10 guys around us, and we all need to be on the same page and executing at the same level.
“Sometimes that doesn’t happen, and you learn lessons as a young quarterback, even as an old quarterback. I’m sure Sam learned lessons last year. It’s just about continuing to get better, moving on to the next play and perfecting your process.”
Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald Issues Strong Words Amid Sam Darnold Injury