Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith injured, misses time, returns for third at N.Y. Giants
Geno Smith also left the Seahawks’ game of pain.
Drew Lock was in for the first regular-season snaps of his two years with the team.
Smith left in the second quarter Monday night at the New Jersey Meadowlands with a knee injury. That was after he scrambled to his left, got to the sidelines, then got pulled down hard into a mass of New York Giants.
Smith returned for the start of the third quarter. Lock played two series for him, one of those resulted in a Seahawks touchdown and 11-point lead.
Smith limped off as Seattle called a time out before third down. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron sent in a play that required Smith to make no steps. He just grabbed the shotgun snap and tried to throw a quick screen outside to the right. Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux almost intercepted it. He had no one in front of him to the end zone. Had he caught it, New York would have had a touchdown and the lead.
Instead, Seattle punted while leading 7-3.
Smith went to the sidelines flexing his right knee. Then he went into the medical observation tent behind the Seahawks’ bench. Wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf went in there to check on him.
After a stop by Seattle’s defense, Lock entered to make his Seahawks debut. Smith remained on the sidelines behind coach Pete Carroll, with his helmet on.
Lock missed on his first two throws, the first off the hands of rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba after a quarterback bootleg. Lock, the former Denver starter the Seahawks acquired trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos in the spring of 2022, then connected on third and 10 with tight end Noah Fant. Lock’s former Broncos teammate also acquired in the Wilson trade ran free down the right sideline 51 yards, to the Giants 1-yard line.
Kenneth Walker ran from there for a touchdown. The Seahawks led 14-3 late into the second half.
Lock remained in the game for Seattle’s final series of the half.
Before he got hurt, Smith completed nine of 11 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter to DK Metcalf.
The Seahawks lost safety Jamal Adams nine plays into his first game in 13 months, because of a concussion he got tackling Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Seattle lost starting right guard Phil Haynes to a calf injury. Then starting left guard Damien Lewis left on the back of a motorized cart. He went into the locker room with an ankle injury.
Rookie Olu Oluwatimi went in at center and starting center Evan Brown went to left guard for Lewis. Rookie Anthony Bradford replaced Haynes at right guard.
Seattle was already missing both starting tackles, Charles Cross (foot) and Abe Lucas. Lucas is on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Smith, the former Jets starting quarterback, was playing on his former home field Monday night. It was his first game playing back in his original NFL city of 11 years ago since he became a first time Pro Bowl selection and made his first postseason start last season replacing Wilson as Seattle’s starter.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 6:48 PM.
