Drew Lock’s play has surprised Pete Carroll. But Geno Smith still leads Seahawks’ QB derby

Pete Carroll sounds like a coach who’s siding with Drew Lock.

He’s acts like a coach who’s siding with Geno Smith.

Meanwhile, the competition to decide who is replacing Russell Wilson as the Seahawks’ quarterback continues.

Smith, Wilson’s backup for Seattle the last three seasons, is starting the first preseason game Saturday at Pittsburgh (4 p.m., KING television locally). He’s been the starter in offseason practices and through the first 11 practices of training camp.

Carroll said both Smith and Lock will play “quite a bit” against the Steelers. As usual, he didn’t specify how much.

Also as usual, Carroll didn’t answer when asked whether the starting offense was going stay on the field longer than usual for a first Seattle preseason game, to give both QBs equal opportunity with the first team Saturday.

“You’re going to have to wait and see,” Carroll said. “It was worth asking, though.

“They know what’s going on. You guys will see. We will roll with the game a little bit and make sure that the opportunities, that we can maximize them.”

Lock’s surprised Carroll

For the first time, Carroll stated Lock is even better than the coach anticipated when the Seahawks acquired him in the massive trade of Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March.

Carroll’s comments underline that Smith, 31, is the known for Seattle’s coaches and players in this competition — and that the 25-year-old Lock is the unknown, carrying risk with the potential higher upside.

Lock has surprised Carroll, in a very positive way, the coach says.

“Well, we knew Geno. We knew his stuff, and we’ve seen a lot of him over the years,” Carroll said Thursday. “So, there’s been few surprises there. He’s been really consistent and rock solid.

“I’m surprised at some stuff that Drew does. His movement. His natural ability. His ability to move and throw the ball with his feet in awkward positions at times to get the ball out, his quickness of release. I saw that stuff, but until I saw the person, I didn’t know.

“He’s really talented. He has a lot of skills, man, and the game is easy for him in that sense. Physically, he can make all the throws, do the movements, run with the football. We’ve seen him run a lot out here and take off and go. So, it’s just been kind of the whole package that’s been a surprise to see that he’s just well-equipped.

“Now, it’s just down to the competition of it.”

How are they actually assessing that?

This week in practices Carroll, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and quarterbacks coach Dave Canales have had Lock take one scrimmage series with the starting offensive line each day. It’s been five plays, one day in the red zone, another in 11-on-11 work in the middle of the field.

The rest of the time it’s remained Smith with the ones and new center Austin Blythe and Lock with the twos and backup center Kyle Fuller.

Lock out-played Smith in last weekend’s mock-game scrimmage, which Carroll said the coaches evaluate as a fourth preseason game. The offense has been more dynamic and tougher defend in training camp with Lock throwing on the run, extending plays outside the pocket and executing run-pass options to wide receivers on quick throws. Smith has been more static and conventional throwing from the pocket, sometimes more errantly than Lock.

Smith responded Tuesday and Wednesday of this past week with his two best practices of camp. His throws were sharp, placed away from tight coverage of defensive backs to where only DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in particular could catch them for touchdowns. At one point in positional work with receivers and one-on-one drills with defensive backs Wednesday, Smith completed 12 consecutive passes. Nothing from him was hitting the ground.

Smith and Lock combined for four touchdowns in a six-play span of red-zone scrimmaging Wednesday. The previous week, they and their offense had gone 18 tries in the red zone without scoring over two practices.

Waldron has been keenly tuned to the process each quarterback is taking in scrimmages, individual work and group drills with receivers and backs. There’s film study and use of the playbook, plus calls at the line of scrimmage based on the alignment the defense shows before each snap.

“Every situation they are in, are they winning that moment?” Waldron said. “You know, each rep. And, really, it’s that process over results mentality. ...

“We are looking at everything, like all coaches do, between the walkthroughs, the communication, how they are interacting with their teammates, how we’re throwing during individual routes, how they are running through drill periods, and then how these team periods go. ...

“(We’ll) just do the best we can to evaluate who’s winning each one of those sections to be able to get us in a position to make the best decision for the team.”

Smith’s, Lock’s thoughts

Smith is 13-21 as an NFL starter, including 12-18 during his four seasons with the Jets to begin his career. He was 1-2 replacing the injured Wilson for the Seahawks in the middle of last season.

Smith believes his year in Waldron’s offense last season is giving him an advantage in this competition.

“Very beneficial,” Smith said. “I feel like right now, where I am mentally, I want things to progress and to go. But again, putting things back into perspective, it’s only (two weeks) into camp. So, all of us, we have to collectively come together, and we all have to mentally hit the same strides at the same time.

“So, it’s about having patience and really trusting the process, and I believe great things are going to happen for the offense.”

Lock was 8-13 starting for Denver over parts of three seasons. He is maintaining the thought he isn’t competing with Smith, he’s competing with himself.

“I feel like it’s a competition against myself every day,” he said. “I said this once: It’s just my job and my thought process of coming out and being the best me every day. And if I do that all of camp, the decisions made one way or another, I’ll feel good about what I did.

“No regrets going back on this. No days where I thought I beat myself. It’s just going to be coming out and getting better every day.”

How to assess preseason games?

There are many variables to the results of a preseason games: how much the opponent is playing its starters, game situations, field position, combinations of players the Seahawks coaches are trying to evaluate.

Those variables, plus Waldron’s emphasis on the process, mean there’s more to this quarterback derby than just the bottom line in evaluating QBs: touchdowns and not turning the ball over.

“They have done really well on the practice field, and we would love to see it carry over just like I am talking about,” Carroll said.

“At the quarterback position there are opportunities. And if the opportunities are there, how do they seize them? Do they come through and make the play? Do they come through and make the big throw in the red zone, or maybe it’s on a third down or whatever it is. Maybe it’s hitting someone that is open deep.

“We just have to wait and see. Then we will add them up.”