The Seattle Seahawks didn’t need their starting quarterback to produce their biggest offensive performance of the young season.
Drew Lock made sure of it anyway, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba left Arizona sounding like a receiver who has complete trust in the veteran backup.
Subsequent to Seattle’s 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 20, Smith-Njigba was glowing aboout Lock, who made his first Seahawks start since 2023 with Sam Darnold sidelined by a glute injury.
“Drew, he’s a special talent and sees the field very well and can make any throw,” Smith-Njigba said, according to FOX 13 Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree. “And I know he’s looking for me, and I just want to be there for him. And we’ve been having a special connection for a minute now.”
The connection was impossible to miss. Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 155 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, with all three scores coming from Lock. The performance helped Seattle improve to 2-0 and extend its franchise-record winning streak to 12 games.
JSN-Lock Connection Takes Over in Arizona
Lock’s first pass of the afternoon set the tone for what was coming. Smith-Njigba used a double move to break free downfield, and Lock found him in stride for an 82-yard touchdown, the longest reception of Smith-Njigba’s career.
Per Seahawks.com, the play wasn’t originally designed as a go route. Lock recognized Smith-Njigba had beaten the coverage and let the ball fly. It turned into the first of three touchdowns for a pairing that repeatedly punished Arizona in high-leverage situations.
The Cardinals managed to tie the game 7-7 before halftime, but Seattle went back to its top receiver after the break. Lock hit Smith-Njigba for a 7-yard touchdown on third-and-goal in the third quarter, then connected with him again for a 12-yard score on third-and-6 early in the fourth.
Lock finished 19-of-26 passing for 235 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Smith-Njigba accounted for nearly two-thirds of his passing yardage.
Head coach Mike Macdonald highlighted the third-down scores afterward, calling them “high leverage situations” and praising both Lock’s throws and Smith-Njigba’s finishes. The Seahawks also moved Smith-Njigba around the formation to make it more difficult for Arizona to bracket him, a wrinkle Smith-Njigba credited to offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.
It’s nice to see for the Seahawks that the passing game can remain aggressive even with Darnold unavailable.
Lock Is Great Insurance as Darnold Nears Return
Lock’s performance in Arizona was an extension of what he did in relief against the New England Patriots in Week 1. After Darnold exited five snaps into the opener, Lock completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown while helping Seattle rally for a 13-10 victory.
That left Lock with 422 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions through nearly two full games of work.
Macdonald had spent the week publicly expressing confidence in Lock, and the quarterback backed it up in his first full start. Seahawks.com reported Macdonald called Lock’s performance “tremendous” after the win.
The timing is notable because Darnold may be closer to returning than initially expected. Macdonald said after the Cardinals game that the timetable on Darnold’s recovery had “shifted quite drastically,” adding that the starter has a chance to practice this week before Seattle faces the Washington Commanders.
Of course, there’s no indication Seattle is moving away from Darnold when he is healthy. What Lock has provided is something every contender wants, which is evidence that the offense can function at a high level even if the starter misses time.
“It shows time and time again how good he is,” Smith-Njigba said.
Now that the Seahawks team is 2-0 without getting a full game from Darnold, Lock’s connection with its best receiver has turned an injury problem into a display of roster depth.
Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba Makes Drew Lock Declaration After 3-TD Day