Lock rewarded that confidence with a great overall performance that went beyond his big touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba. In his extended playing time with the Seahawks since 2023 -- Lock also started five games for the Giants in 2024 before returning to Seattle last season -- Lock completed 16 of 22 attempts for 187 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers, giving him a 113.3 passer rating.
"We've all been saying Drew has been the best 2 in the NFL for years," safety Julian Love said. "There was such calm on our sideline, defensively, folks didn't realize until like, towards the second half, that he was in, because it's just so seamless, he's such a leader, he makes play all the time in practice. So it was really cool to see him, we just have so much belief. Not just in him, but in anyone who steps in for us. Rodney (Thomas II), Drew, that's how we operate."
Said Smith-Njigba: "Drew's a ball player. He comes in and demands the huddle, and he wants to sling, throw the ball around. Like I said, full confidence in 2… He's a playmaker. He loves to be out there and ball out. You can just see it on him, and his effectiveness on the team. You can feel it. It's exciting to see him ball out and throw it around and demand the huddle."
Cooper Kupp, who turned in one of the offensive highlights of the day, a spectacular one-handed catch for a 25-yard gain that set up a field goal, said the extra work Lock puts in every week is why he was able to thrive on Wednesday.
"He did a phenomenal job," Kupp said. "He basically took no reps with any of the guys that were out there all week. You can see the onus that he puts on himself to be ready, though, when the time comes. There's extra time he spends on the field, extra time that he spends with the coaches to make sure. The last thing you want is for Sam to have to not be there, but Drew has done an unbelievable job preparing and did a great job for us today."
For Lock, the key to staying ready when he gets so few practice reps is a whiteboard he keeps by his bed to literally draw up plays, including the one that led to a key touchdown.
"My biggest thing is always just drawing every play as much as I can," Lock said. Literally drawing. Whiteboard, I've got one next to my bed. I'll do it at night and I'll do it in the morning. That's just been my thing, being able to visualize it so when I read it out it's just there in my head. Because of the lack of reps, you don't get to physically do it. I got to be able to draw it from somewhere, no pun intended, and drawing it helps me draw it from somewhere."