WATCH: ESPN analyst Ryan Clark roasts Seattle backup quarterback Drew Lock
The Seattle Seahawks came out on top of the Denver Broncos 17-16 on Monday Night Football in Week 1 following a bizarre ending, but one of the most surprising aspects of the night to many was the excellent play of new Seattle quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith had started just five games in the previous six seasons, becoming the epitome of a journeyman NFL quarterback.
He didn’t look like it Monday night, to the point that other quarterbacks on Seattle’s roster ended up catching strays from an NFL analyst who had fun highlighting a very random play on ESPN.
Speaking with ESPN star Scott Van Pelt, analyst Ryan Clark had the production crew highlight a player on the sidelines. That was former Missouri quarterback Drew Lock, now a backup for Seattle.
“Here’s what’s very important about this play,” Clark said. “I want y’all to look at this guy right here. That guy’s Drew Lock. As long as Drew Lock is standing in that place because Geno Smith is playing very well that’s the best-case scenario for the Seattle Seahawks.”
Geno Smith stars as Drew Lock watches former team
While most of the storylines Monday centered around quarterback Russell Wilson going from Seattle to Denver and facing his former team, now-Seattle-backup Drew Lock flew under the radar for making the same move in the opposite direction.
He was part of the blockbuster deal Denver put together to land Wilson after starting 21 games over the last three years for the Broncos.
Of course, Smith managed to beat him out for the start against his former team.
The journeyman NFL quarterback finding himself in the spotlight Monday night took full advantage. Smith went 23-of-28 passing for 195 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions before dropping an extremely memorable one-liner in a post-game interview.
“They wrote me off. I ain’t write back, though,” Smith said. “That’s the problem, I ain’t write back. Let’s go!”
Van Pelt put up a good-natured protest in the video exchange embedded above, then, when Clark took a bit of a dig at Lock on the air.
“How you gonna do him that dirty?” Van Pelt said. “C’mon now.”
Clark continued on without missing a beat.
“I was just saying he was doing a good job doing what he needs to be doing,” the former LSU star said.