Seahawks beat Cardinals 17-3 as backup Drew Lock steps in for injured Darnold
AJ Barner found the end zone twice while Drew Lock started in place of the injured Sam Darnold.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 17-3 on Sunday at Lumen Field, securing a win without their starting quarterback.
AJ Barner, a tight end for the Seahawks, recorded two touchdowns in the victory. This marked his first scoring performance of the season. He caught a 7-yard pass for one score and ran for a 1-yard touchdown on the other.
Drew Lock started at quarterback because Sam Darnold suffered a quad injury during the final series of Seattle's previous game against the Chicago Bears. Coach Mike Macdonald noted that Darnold also cracked a rib early in that contest. Lock completed 19 of 28 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. He had been inactive for the two games prior to this matchup due to elbow tendinitis.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught seven passes for 51 yards. This performance moved his season total to 1,036 yards. He became the third player in franchise history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, joining Steve Largent and Tyler Lockett. Smith-Njigba is also the first NFL receiver to reach the 1,000-yard mark this year.
The Cardinals entered the game with Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback. He took over after Jacoby Brissett was traded to Baltimore. Minshew completed 21 of 30 passes for 166 yards. The loss marked the Cardinals' 11th consecutive defeat to Seattle.
Seattle extended its lead in the third quarter when Jason Myers kicked a 45-yard field goal. Lock showed signs of an oblique injury during that drive but remained in the game. Jalen Milroe served as his backup on the sideline.
The Cardinals trailed early after Chad Ryland kicked a 28-yard field goal. Seattle took the lead when Barner dived for a 1-yard rushing touchdown early in the second quarter. The Seahawks held on after stopping Minshew on a fourth-and-goal attempt from the 2-yard line in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks will visit the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday. The Cardinals will host the Los Angeles Chargers at the same time. Seattle ruled out Leonard Williams, Rashid Shaheed, and Uchenna Nwoso before the game due to injuries.
