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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks‘ quarterback battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock may not be determined anytime quickly.
Coach Pete Carroll mentioned Tuesday that the Seahawks will take “on a regular basis we want” to choose a starter, noting the 2 and a half weeks they’ve between Friday’s preseason finale towards the Dallas Cowboys and the Sept. 12 opener towards Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos.
Carroll mentioned Smith stays forward however that he is “broad open” to the chance that Lock might overtake him.
Carroll did not specify when he had initially deliberate to decide however mentioned it modified when Lock was sidelined with COVID-19 final Tuesday, two days earlier than he was set to make his first begin of the summer season in Seattle’s second preseason sport towards the Chicago Bears. Lock returned Sunday and has taken half in all three practices this week, sharing first-team reps with Smith on Tuesday.
Carroll on Wednesday mentioned Smith will begin towards the Cowboys on Friday, however Lock will play “a lot of the sport for us.”
“I am broad open for no matter occurs,” Carroll mentioned. “Geno’s been the man within the lead place the entire time, and I’ve protected that thought all through. He is finished a very nice job. He is been very constant. So we’ll simply see what occurs. There’s two extra weeks of follow, too, after this. I had a set thought on what we’d do with the timeline however that acquired disrupted, so we’ll use on a regular basis we want.”
Smith has taken a lot of the first-team reps. He began the Seahawks’ mock sport after which their preseason opener towards the Pittsburgh Steelers every week later. The plan was for Lock to start out towards Chicago after which go from there. Lock took all of the first-team reps final Tuesday however struggled whereas feeling sick, testing optimistic later that day.
“At present’s a extremely massive day for me to search out out what they seem like as we speak,” Carroll mentioned earlier than follow. “A man’s getting back from COVID. He made it again two days in the past, did advantageous, made it by yesterday in all of the walk-through stuff, did advantageous. Let’s have a look at how he goes as we speak and see we’ll see the place it suits. However I am not closing the e book on anyone competing for his or her spots. We’ve two monumental weeks arising: The end of this one, [then] subsequent week is a big week for us after which we come again with one other full week and an additional day. So we have got loads of time right here to work it out.”
Lock, acquired from Denver within the Wilson commerce, outplayed Smith within the Aug. 6 mock sport at Lumen Subject and was having a powerful night time towards Pittsburgh with a pair of landing passes till committing a late gaffe. He misplaced a fumble when he was didn’t account for an unblocked rusher off the sting.
“He performed very well,” Carroll mentioned. “His rhythm was good. I am going again to the Lumen sport, too, as a result of that was the opposite one we have been utilizing for the analysis. He was actually fast with the soccer. I would wish to proceed to see that occur. When it comes proper all the way down to it, we missed one thing proper on the finish and gave the ball up. I would identical to to see him end the sport and end making the performs that he is able to making. He is proven loads of actually good things. I feel he had two of three drives the place he scored popping out towards [Pittsburgh]. However we’re in a unique setup now due to final week’s sport.”
The Seahawks went scoreless on seven first-half drives behind Smith final week towards Chicago. He completed 10-of-18 for 112 yards, however no less than three of his incompletions have been drops.
Requested whether or not the Seahawks might play two quarterbacks within the common season, Carroll mentioned it is a chance however not the plan.
“I might go forward and simply name it, however I need to let the fellows battle and allow them to present the place they’re and allow us to get as a lot data as potential,” he mentioned. “Geno’s finished a extremely good job of being in that place. His voice is strong. He is on level on a regular basis. He is been very constant along with his work all of that, and Drew has been actually sharp. I do know it is not imagined to be a great state of affairs when you may have two quarterbacks. It means you do not have one, is the outdated saying. I do not know that. We would have two ones. We’ll see what occurs.”
Carroll initially mentioned he anticipated rookie working again Kenneth Walker III to be again by the opener from his hernia process, however he has since backed off that thought. Seattle’s second-round choose has been in line for a major function alongside Rashaad Penny.
“I do not know how you can name what is going on to occur as a result of it is such an uncommon circumstance that he has,” Carroll mentioned. “He is actually powerful, he is making massive progress every single day. He simply feels extra comfy. I feel he sneezed the opposite day and made it by it. So he is doing advantageous. However what number of weeks is it going to take? I do not know that. The docs aren’t telling us that both, so I feel loads’s going to need to do with him.
“If you are going to financial institution on him, he will make it again in a rush. He is actually powerful. He is very demanding of himself. So we’ll see the way it goes, however we’ll be eager for that to occur.”
