Wednesday night started rough: Sam Darnold, our starting QB, went down with a hip injury on the very first drive of the new NFL season against the Patriots. Just like that, backup Drew Lock was under center, trying to kickstart a stalled offense in our own Lumen Field.
Lock Delivers a Dime, Only to Be Denied
Lock really stepped up on third-and-22 from our own 33-yard line. He launched a downfield dart, a laser right between multiple Patriots defenders, and connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba just short of the sticks. That’s the kind of play that shifts momentum, setting us up for what looked like an obvious go-for-it situation on fourth-and-goal near midfield. With us already down 7-0 late in the second quarter, we desperately needed to put points on the board.
The “Tush Push” Whistle That Killed Our Momentum
So, we went for it. Our version of the infamous “tush push” saw 251-pound tight end AJ Barner line up under center in a tight bunch formation. It looked like we got the first down, pushing into Patriots territory! But then the whistle blew, and officials called an offside penalty on the offense. They said right guard Anthony Bradford lined up over the line of scrimmage. From the NBC overhead angle, it was tough to tell if they got it right, but it cost us big time. That five-yard penalty wiped out the effort, forcing another Seahawks punt, our fourth of the half. We ended up going into halftime without any points, still trailing 7-0, and with Darnold officially ruled out for the rest of the game.
What a brutal sequence for our Emerald City squad. Losing Darnold so early, then seeing a huge, drive-saving effort nullified by a questionable penalty,it really set a tough tone for the season opener. We’re going to need Lock to keep delivering those darts, and for our offensive line to clean up those focus flags fast if we want to turn this thing around in the second half. The whole league’s watching how these tush push calls are going, and we got burned on the very first one. Let’s see if the 12s can still rally the team to fight back.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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