NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While most things shouldn’t be defined by absolutes, when it comes to NFL quarterbacks and the clutch gene, they either have it or they don’t.
As the past week has evidenced in a pair of close, down-to-the-wire games, the Seahawks luckily have two quarterbacks on the roster who possess this key trait.
After watching backup Drew Lock throw a game-winning touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba against Philadelphia on Monday night, Geno Smith wasn’t about to be outdone when presented his own opportunity for theatrics on Sunday afternoon in Tennessee.
Trailing by four with under four minutes left to play following a touchdown run by Titans running back Derrick Henry, Smith performed his best Lock impersonation, calmly orchestrating a 14-play, 75-yard drive culminating with a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson.
Completing seven out of 10 passes for 57 yards, his second touchdown toss of the quarter put the Seahawks ahead for good to lock up a crucial 20-17 road victory at Nissan Stadium.
By finishing off his league-best fourth game-winning drive, Smith and Lock etched themselves into the history books as only the second quarterback duo on the same team to lead game-winning drives in the final minute in back-to-back weeks, joining the 1999 Dolphins in exclusive company.
“It’s preparation,” Smith said after the game. “Coach prepares us for these opportunities, for these moments in the VMAC.
Every single day we go over two-minute, a bunch of different situations and scenarios.
It helps when you get out there on the field, you’re used to it, you know what to do.
Guys are calm, they know their assignments, and you saw, it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is.
Coach prepares us to be in those situations and to make those plays and that’s what we’re about as Seahawks.
We’re going to fight to the finish and if the ball is in our hands as an offense, we want to make sure we close it out.”
First, two snaps after Smith hooked up with receiver Tyler Lockett for a seven-yard completion to move the sticks on 3rd and 6 to the Titans 36-yard line, speedy edge rusher Harold Landry collapsed the pocket to devour the quarterback for a six-yard sack.
Facing 3rd and 14 in their own territory out of the two minute warning, Tennessee could send the horses after him with few plays in the playbook to pick up that much yardage.
