I will admit that I was conflicted when Drew Lock had to come into the game against the New York Giants after Geno Smith was temporarily forced to leave with a leg injury. I wanted the Seattle Seahawks to do well, of course, and didn't want Lock to be awful, but I also had a feeling that if he came into the game and was fantastic, many 12s would have been happier with his play than they ever would be with Geno Smith. We live in a weird world.
Don't take my word for it alone. Go on to almost any social media outlet (unless there is one called "Geno Smith Twitterbook" where all you can is praise Geno) and simply ask, "Should Drew Lock replace Geno Smith as QB1?" and see the responses you get. General fanbases love a backup quarterback, but for some unknown reason to me, many 12s prefer Lock over Smith.
I am not saying that Geno Smith is the older version of Patrick Mahomes because he isn't, just as almost every quarterback older than Mahomes isn't. But has Geno Smith proven in a season-plus to be a good fit in Seattle's offense? Um, yeah. He led the NFC is touchdown passes last year and the entire league in completion percentage.
Still, there seems to be a lot of Geno Smith dislike on social media. I asked a question on Facebook and X (or Twitter or Elon Musk Untruth Social) this past week just to make sure I wasn't misreading the overall situation. Thankfully, I did get several responses vehemently supporting the quarterback who made the Pro Bowl last year. But many others? Not so much.
Seattle Seahawks should have no quarterback controversy in 2023
One response to my question about whether Lock should replace Smith said - and if you don't believe me, check out the 12th Man Rising Facebook page - "At least give (Lock) a chance. I don't think they have ever really done that at any level."
Another said, "Drew is a smarter stronger better option than Geno!" (And yes, I am leaving the names of the somewhat innocent off this article, but as I said, you can still check our Facebook page to confirm.) And I got more "Likes" on Facebook than laughs which would seem to imply those people might actually want to see Lock replace Smith.
Yet another said, "Yes, I would no question." No question? Really? Maybe they happen to really be a fan of another NFC West team.
No, Geno Smith isn't perfect. But offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is smart enough to know that when Geno Smith is in the game, he can have Smith drop back and survey the field. When Lock came in, Waldron had Lock roll out a bunch as Lock is very athletic but also is definitely not as good at reading the field. And reading the field is what a QB1 has to be able to do. Lock also went just 2 for 6 passing and most of his yards were on a 10-yard pass to tight end Noah Fant that Fant turned into 51 yards.
By the way, I am not saying I dislike Lock because I don't. He plays for the Seahawks so therefore I like him. But I don't want him replacing a healthy Geno Smith because Smith has proven to be a good quarterback.