The Seattle Seahawks managed to pick up an improbable victory in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, as they grinded out a 13-10 victory, despite not having their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, on the field for the majority of the game. Darnold was forced out of the contest after just five snaps with a glute injury, and he is set to miss a couple of weeks as he gets himself back to full health.
With Darnold out, Drew Lock came in and led the offense, and while it wasn’t necessarily pretty, he managed to get the job done against a tough Pats defense. Obviously, turning to Lock isn’t exactly an ideal scenario, but now that he has had a full week to prepare as the starter, it sounds like the Seahawks are expecting big things from him.
Seahawks Have High Hopes for Drew Lock in Week 2
A second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Lock has had a fairly unimpressive career to this point. He has shown flashes of his potential during his various stints on the field, but over long stretches of time, he has struggled more often than not. However, he is a high-level backup who can hold his own when he is called into action.
That was on full display in the wake of Darnold’s injury in Week 1. Lock’s numbers aren’t necessarily anything to write home about (16/22, 187 YDS, 1 TD), but he didn’t make any major mistakes, and with Drake Maye tossing three fourth-quarter interceptions on the other side of the field, that was enough to help Seattle pull out the win.
With Darnold missing time, though, Lock is going to remain under center, but nobody knows if he will be able to keep playing at a high level for however long Darnold is out. And yet, according to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Seahawks are actually very confident in Lock heading into Week 2.
Everybody I’ve texted with brought up Drew Lock unprompted. They said that he has equipped himself well and has impressed the staff since he’s been here over a year ago,” Fowler said on “Big Day.” “They expect a big game, and I don’t think it’s backup quarterback posturing from the staff … They’re feeling like full-week Drew Lock is going to perform at a high level.”
Drew Lock Aiming to Lead Seahawks to Second Straight Win
As we saw in Week 1, Lock doesn’t necessarily have to be great in order for Seattle to win games. Backed by a stellar defense and a strong supporting cast on offense, Lock simply has to avoid making any major mistakes in order for the Seahawks to remain competitive. Anything better than that could be enough to lead them to a win.
On paper at least, the Seahawks have an easier matchup in Week 2 against their NFC West foe, the Arizona Cardinals. However, the Cardinals just pulled off an upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, so they can’t exactly be taken lightly. This game could very well come down to Lock’s performance, and if that’s the case, Seattle feels very good about its odds of coming out on top.
Seahawks’ True Thoughts on Drew Lock Revealed by Insider