Lock again lifts the Seahawks to a win in starter Darnold's absence

SEATTLE (AP) — Backup quarterback Drew Lock gave the Seattle Seahawks the win they needed against the Arizona Cardinals after the team’s drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Bears last week.

Lock, who was inactive the previous two games with an elbow problem, also injured his oblique during Sunday’s game but still finished 19 of 28 with 175 yards and a touchdown pass, while also rushing five times for 16 yards in the Seahawks' 17-3 win.

Lock went into the injury tent toward the end of the third quarter after tweaking his oblique, but returned to without missing a play. It was Lock’s second start of the season and third in which he saw significant snaps in place of starter Sam Darnold. The Seahawks announced last Wednesday that Darnold would be out against the Cardinals with a cracked rib and a quadriceps injury, which pressed Lock into duty even with his elbow issue.

Darnold was hurt during Seattle's disheartening 34-17 loss at home to Chicago last Monday.

Lock didn’t throw much in practice this week, saying that he only threw Thursday with very limited reps pregame.

“They had a great plan,” Lock said. “We discussed basically all day Saturday how we wanted to handle this, and it was executed perfect. Hats off to everybody, and (I) waited to throw until we got the shoulder pads and helmets on.”

Lock got nearly everyone involved, with six players catching at least one pass. Rookie Jadarian Price led the team with 54 yards on four receptions, marking the first time this season a player other than Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team in receiving.

The running game also got going with Zach Charbonnet rushing for 77 yards on 16 carries.

Lock showed poise in the pocket, avoiding the risky throws that have turned disastrous at times this season for Darnold. In his three games, Lock has thrown 76 pass attempts, with zero interceptions. Darnold, meanwhile, has thrown nine picks in seven games.

A big part of Lock’s success is likely due to Arizona’s lack of pressure. Lock wasn't sacked even with Seattle missing two of its starting offensive lineman, while Darnold has been sacked three or more times in four of his past five games.

If Darnold keeps struggling with turnovers and Lock continues to play well in his absence, Seattle’s quarterback situation could get interesting.

The Seahawks' defense had another outstanding performance, holding the Cardinals to three points and 198 total yards. Arizona's Tyson Allgeier rushed for just 46 yards on 17 carries, for an average of 2.7 yards per attempt.

The Seahawks have allowed just three points in each of their past two wins, and have given up 10 points or fewer in four of their five wins this season.

A.J. Barner had two touchdowns on Sunday — one rushing and one receiving — but the Seahawks' tight ends have still not been a big factor. Through nine games, Barner, Eric Saubert, and Elijah Arroyo have combined for 27 receptions for 247 yards, with Barner responsible for 23 of those catches and 210 of those yards.

Barner’s two touchdowns were a reminder of his ability to make a difference on offense, as he showed throughout last season, but it has mostly been a quiet season for Barner and the rest of the tight ends.

“We can kind of feel the frustration with him of like what he expects from himself,” coach Mike Macdonald said of Barner. “But just no flinch, just keep attacking it. He’s a leader on our offense and he provides so much great energy. When he’s on his game, it really helps our offense.”

Price was the Seahawks' leading receiver while also rushing for 24 yards on nine carries.

It was a breakout performance for Price, who missed four games this season with a chest injury and was benched in Week 3 after his second fumble in as many weeks. But Price’s performance on Sunday gave the Seahawks a glimpse at the talent that made him their first pick in the draft this year.

He could be a key player moving forward with the offense attempting to occasionally get the ball to someone other than Smith-Njigba.

Smith-Njigba was held to a season-low 51 yards on seven receptions, just the second time this season the Seahawks star receiver had fewer than 100 yards receiving.

The Seahawks went in missing six starters, including Darnold, left tackle Charles Cross, left guard Quenton Nelson, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.

Lock gutted his way through elbow and oblique injuries. Macdonald said on Monday that Lock had a “good exam” and his oblique injury is something the team can manage headed into next week’s game.

1,000 — Smith-Njigba reached 1,000 yards receiving on an 8-yard pass from Lock with 7:36 left in the first quarter. Smith-Njigba is the first NFL receiver this season to reach 1,000 yards receiving, and became only the third Seahawks in franchise history to have at least 1,000 in three consecutive seasons, joining Tyler Lockett and Steve Largent.

The Seahawks play at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

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