Commentary: Drew Lock’s heroics were remarkable, but Seahawks are Geno Smith’s team

RENTON, Wash. – If one were to rank the best Seahawks drives since Russell Wilson departed two years ago, the only question is what No. 2 would be.

The top one occurred Monday night, when Drew Lock turned improbable into indelible by leading Seattle 92 yards to the end zone in the final minute of a three-point victory over the Eagles.

It was a multilayered fairy tale involving a backup quarterback and an underdog football team desperate to keep its playoff hopes alive. Unforgettable moment.

But this is still Geno Smith’s team.

It might be tempting for fans to want to continue to ride Lock on Sunday vs. the Titans given his past two performances. In a loss to the 49ers two games ago, he went 22 for 31 for 269 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions – although the second pick was a late fourth-down heave thrown out of desperation. And then there was the possession of Drew’s career Monday, which capped a 22-of-33, 208-yard, one-touchdown evening.

These were not majestic stat lines by any means. The effort against the Niners yielded a passer rating of 92.0, and the one vs. Philly a 94.0. But the Seahawks were competitive with 11-3 San Francisco for the first three quarters and beat the 10-4 Eagles largely thanks to Lock.

He has proved he can perform. But he hasn’t proved he is better than Geno.

Remember, before Smith went down with a groin injury in practice before Week 14, he led one of the Seahawks’ better offensive performances of the season. In a 41-35 loss to the Cowboys (10-4), Smith threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, nearly pulling off a massive upset. Two games earlier he posted 233 yards and a 94.4 rating vs. the Rams, and the game before that he tallied 369 yards and a 103.9 rating in a victory over the Commanders.

Look, I’ve been critical of Smith multiple times this season. He had a four-game stretch in which he was particularly turnover-prone and lacked the productivity to make it seem as if he would be Seattle’s QB1 for the foreseeable future.

Smith is a far cry from Wilson in his heyday – but he has put together some 60-minute gems this season.

One example was the near masterpiece in Detroit, where Smith went 32 for 41 for 328 yards two touchdowns and no interceptions. That 37-31 OT victory might be the Seahawks’ most impressive win of the year, and Smith was the chief engineer. Three times this season Smith has put up a passer rating of at least 103. He had 10 such contests last season.

You could make the case that after serving as a backup for seven years, Geno’s regression this season should be expected. But unless there’s a serious injury, it’s rare that a QB playing at a high level one year simply disappears the next. Smith has a legitimate résumé.

And let’s be honest – before that now-legendary drive Monday, Lock was barely moving the ball. A three-and-out on that last possession, and he finishes with about 130 yards passing and less than 5 yards per throw. Yes, Smith has had a couple of games like that this season, but he has repeatedly demonstrated that such instances are rare.

All that said, it’s clear there is potent mutual admiration between the starter and the backup.

Asked what his reaction to Lock’s winning drive was Thursday, Smith said: “That was awesome. So excited for Drew. That was really cool to see him in that moment.”

Three days earlier, Lock praised Geno as “the unsung hero” of the previous two weeks.

“The encouragement he’s given me, the pep talks here and there, helping in the film room. It was cool when roles flipped, I was going to have to be the starter, he was doing the same thing for me as I was trying to do for him,” Lock said. “That’s just an unselfish dude in there. I appreciate him more than words can describe.”

A lot of heart strings have been tugged in Seattle thanks to these two the past couple of seasons. Watching Smith win NFL Comeback Player of the Year and earn a Pro Bowl nod after seven seasons on the bench was Inspiration 101. Watching Lock command Seattle to victory Monday in just his second start since 2021 was equally stirring.

But the Seahawks still have three games to play. They might need to win all three of them to make the playoffs, too.

Lock said Monday that he felt like “the man.” No one will dispute that.

Right now, however, Geno is the guy.