Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll Details 'Gorgeous' Game-Winning Drive From Drew Lock
The Seattle Seahawks' playoff hopes are well and truly alive after a heart-stopping 20-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lumen Field on Monday. It was a game where Seattle stuttered and spluttered along, but when push came to shove in the final minutes, Shane Waldron's offense clicked into gear.
Quarterback Drew Lock, who was making his second consecutive start in place of Geno Smith, led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that ended with a Jaxon Smith-Njigba touchdown that took 1:24 off the clock in what was the Seahawks' longest drive of the season.
For head coach Pete Carroll, who perhaps had the best seat in the house to watch it unfold, marveled at how everything came together to produce a special moment at the end.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) led a game-winning drive that kept the team's playoff hopes alive.
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“Drew played a fantastic football game for us and did a beautiful job," Carroll said. "DK [Metcalf] came through in the last drive and other times in the game. Tough plays, really difficult plays. He made them, other guys might not make. Then the throw and catch to Jaxon, I haven't seen the good looks of it yet. I know from what everybody's comments were, that's the guy that's going to make that play, make that catch, he's just that good. For him to have that opportunity, for Drew to put the ball on him, Shane [Waldron] to call it, guys to protect. So many gorgeous things that happened there football-wise that gave us a chance to get ahead there at the end.”
Gorgeous indeed, Pete.
There's an old saying, "It might not be your match, but it can be your moment."Before his game-winning drive, Lock wasn't setting the Eagles secondary on fire by any means - but he was hanging in there, in a similar way to last week against the San Francisco 49ers.
Then came the final drive ... and "his" moment.
Needing a touchdown, Lock would hit DK Metcalf for an 18-yard gain to get things rolling before returning to his star receiver for a huge 34-yard gain and just two plays later, a 29-yard pass to Smith-Njigba led to the game-winning score.
Lock would complete five of his eight passes for 92 yards as he dragged the Seahawks over the line in stunning fashion.
“I'm so thrilled for the kid," Carroll said. "First off, it's a memory you're never going to lose. He's going to hold onto this Monday night forever. He earned it. He deserved it. He played up to the great moments in the game and came through. It's been hard. It's been hard for him. Anybody that has the brain of a starter, brain of a championship kid, it's difficult as heck to have to wait. So he's had to do it. But he had his chances. Almost put together a game good enough last week. Then this week he did the whole thing. It was amazing.”
The Seahawks' playoff hopes remain alive as they sit at 7-7 on the season. While still needing a few things to break their way, at least the season has a pulse.
Now, attention turns to building off this week as Seattle travels to face the Tennessee Titans.
Whether or not Lock will still be the starter remains to be seen, but if not, we imagine that he will be quite content with his night's work at Lumen Field that allowed the Seahawks' playoff push to continue.
