Seahawks Crush Cardinals 31-7 as Smith-Njigba Scores 3 Touchdowns

Q: With Drew Lock tossing three touchdowns, will a healthy Sam Darnold actually reclaim the starting quarterback job in Week 3?

Yes—if Sam Darnold is healthy enough, Seattle expects him to reclaim the starting job in Week 3. That is the clearest signal from coach Mike Macdonald, who said after the Cardinals game, “If Sam can play, he’s going to play. If Sam can’t play, then Drew will play.” He also said Darnold’s recovery has “shifted quite drastically” in a positive direction and that the quarterback could return to practice this week. So the issue is not whether Lock played well enough to create a controversy; it is whether Darnold is medically ready. Lock has given Seattle a very good problem to have. Against Arizona he went 19-for-26 for 235 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and was sacked only once. Over two games, he has protected the ball and fit smoothly into the offense. His play gives the Seahawks reason to be cautious with Darnold rather than rush him back. Still, all available reporting points the same way: Darnold remains QB1 when cleared. Lock’s strong showing strengthens Seattle’s depth and buys time, but it has not appeared to change the pecking order. Some reports suggest Week 3 is possible, while others note Week 4 may be more realistic, especially with a major divisional game against San Francisco looming in Week 5. So the best read today is this: Darnold likely starts against Washington only if he is fully ready. If there is any doubt, Seattle can comfortably stick with Lock for another week.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Jaxon Smith-Njigba powered Seattle to 2-0 with nine catches for 155 yards and the first three-touchdown game of his NFL career in a 31-7 road win.
Drew Lock, filling in for injured Sam Darnold, completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and three scores—all to Smith-Njigba—while taking just one sack.
Seattle was tied 7-7 at halftime after a goal-line stop and Jacoby Brissett’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Trey McBride, then controlled the final two quarters.
Emanuel Wilson added 92 yards on 21 carries as Seattle leaned on the run late after rookie Jadarian Price exited with a chest injury; coach Mike Macdonald said X-rays were negative.
Arizona fell to 1-1 and again struggled to involve Marvin Harrison Jr., who had no catches on one target after a Week 1 upset of the Chargers.