SB Nation Reacts Results: Seahawks fans still want to see Drew Lock

Oct 1, 2022 - 3:00 PM

Seattle Seahawks v Dallas Cowboys" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iQ7x38rGLwo-dgUQ46gRplP4aRM=/0x0:4471x2515/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71439912/1419400198.0.jpg" />

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Each week we ask questions of the most plugged-in Seattle Seahawks fans and fans across the country.

Week 3 did not end the way the Seahawks and their fans wanted it to, but overall the performance from the team on the field represented a vast improvement over the Week 2 embarrassment against the San Francisco 49ers. The 27-23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons was a whole lot closer and a whole lot more competitive than the 27-7 loss the prior week, and in Week 4 the Hawks travel east to take on the Detroit Lions in the first of back to back 10 AM starts.

With all of that in mind, it’s time for the results of the weekly SB Nation fan poll, which, as always, starts off questioning whether fans have faith in the direction of the organization. Given that the expectations for this season were relatively low for the majority of fans, it is therefore not all that surprising that dropping a home game to the Falcons did not result in a significant drop in whether fans believe the team is headed in the right direction.

Taking into consideration the idea that many fans expected the Hawks to be bad, and losing more games means a higher draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it obviously brings into question what “headed in the right direction” actually means, but that’s a different discussion for a different day. In addition, with seven games remaining between now and the Week 11 bye, fans remain optimistic that the Seahawks will reach the bye with at least a pair of wins in their pocket.

The seven games between now and the bye are:

• Week 4: at Detroit Lions (1-2)
• Week 5: at New Orleans Saints (1-2)
• Week 6: Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
• Week 7: Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)
• Week 8: New York Giants (2-1)
• Week 9: Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
• Week 10: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

In 2021 the Seahawks were 3-7 through their first ten games, so the Hawks would need to win a pair of the next seven in order to match that record through the matchup against the Bucs in Week 10.

As for how the Seahawks dropped the Week 3 game to the Falcons? Well, fans have issues with that. One of the biggest issues was when Pete Carroll opted to kick a field goal and trust his defense on 4th & 2 at the Atlanta 7 yard line with 3:11 left in the third quarter. Kicking gave the Hawks a short-lived lead, but on a day when the defense struggled to stop, or even slow down Atlanta, opting to rely on the defense is head scratching at best.

Had Carroll gone for it, the Hawks either have first and goal inside the five, or the Falcons get the ball back deep in their own territory with the game tied. For those curious about the various probabilities behind kicking or going in that situation, here are the numbers from one model that is built on EPA and win probability.

Moving on from Week 3 and looking forward, however, the majority of Seahawks fans continue to clamor for the backup quarterback, Drew Lock, to be given a shot to show what he can do.

So, in spite of how well Geno Smith has played so far this season, and in spite of the fact that he has exceeded the expectations of many, as is often the case for teams lacking a franchise quarterback, fans want the backup. Depending on how the remainder of the season goes, and how well Smith performs, fans may get their chance to see Lock show what he can do. However, for now, there seems no question that the offense belongs to Smith.

Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

---