The Emerald City held its breath Wednesday night, watching Sam Darnold hobble off the field after a brutal sack on the opening drive of our season opener against the New England Patriots. What started as pure panic for every Seahawks fan quickly shifted on Thursday afternoon, as NFL Media dropped the news we were all praying for: an MRI has determined our starting quarterback “dodged a bullet” and isn’t looking at an extended absence from the field. It’s a massive relief, especially after Darnold didn’t return to the game following that early hit.
The Scare That Turned Into Relief for The Emerald City
Man, that moment was a gut punch. Seeing Darnold go down so early, not returning to the game, and then the team officially announcing a hip injury , it felt like the worst possible start to the season. The anxiety was real, a cloud over our come-from-behind 13-10 victory over New England. But then, Thursday happened. Head Coach Mike Macdonald came out and confirmed what we desperately hoped for, revealing the team was “able to rule out a fracture” in Darnold’s hip. Yeah, he’s still likely to miss at least one game, but the fact we’re not talking about a season-ending injury? That’s huge. We can all finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Lock Stepped Up Big Time
While we were all holding our breath for Darnold, let’s talk about the hero of the night: Drew Lock. Stepping into the fray cold, after Darnold’s exit, and leading the Hawks to a gritty 13-10 win against the Patriots in what was a rematch of our Super Bowl LX triumph (we smoked ’em 29-13 back then, too!)? That’s the stuff of legends. Lock showed up, throwing for 187 passing yards, tossing one touchdown, and unbelievably, not a single interception. His passer rating was an absolutely stellar 113.3, completing 72.7% of his passes with 16 completions on 22 attempts. That’s pure grit right there! If Darnold does miss some time, Lock’s proven he can hold down the fort. Our backup will be second-year signal caller Jalen Milroe, our 2025 third-round pick. Plus, Lock isn’t new to this; he’s got 28 starts in his seven-plus year career, including five just last year with the New York Giants.
What’s Next for Our Hawks
This whole situation just highlights how crucial Sam Darnold is for us. The 29-year-old is only in his second season with the Seahawks, but last year, he earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod. He put up monster numbers in our 14-3 season, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and a 99.1 passer rating with 67.7% completion. That’s the level of play we’re eager to see back on the field. For now, though, it’s Drew Lock’s show. We’ve got two road games coming up fast: a showdown against the Arizona Cardinals on September 20th, and then a trip to face the Washington Commanders on September 27th. Can Lock keep that hot streak going and show everyone he’s got what it takes to lead the charge? The 12s will be watching every snap, ready to ride with our team. Let’s go, Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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