Halftime Observations: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Strikes Early, Seahawks Battle Cardinals to 7-7 Tie

Throwing the first haymaker in the desert, Drew Lock hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for an 82-yard touchdown on the Seattle Seahawks’ second play from scrimmage, ultimately going into the half tied up with the Arizona Cardinals 7-7 at State Farm Stadium.

Here are three quick observations from the first half in Glendale:

1. Even with the roof closed, lightning strikes early in the form of Smith-Njigba feasting on busted coverage.

Starting his first NFL game since 2024 when he played for the Giants, the Seahawks hoped to get Lock into a rhythm early with a few easy completions, similar to how he got untracked in the second half last week in a comeback win over the Patriots. But offensive coordinator Brian Fleury likely didn’t expect that “easy” pass to be downfield to an uncovered Smith-Njigba, who came loose wide open with a double move as safety Budda Baker took the bait and got left in the dust. Without another defender in support, Lock was able to loft a deep ball to the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, who did the rest coasting into the end zone for an 82-yard score, the longest touchdown of his career.

After three consecutive drives that ended punt, fumble, and punt, Lock went back to his most trusted weapon, hitting Smith-Njigba for a pair of first down throws to advance into the red zone for the first time. Unfortunately, the drive sputtered with four straight run plays inside the 10-yard line, including Emanuel Wilson getting stuffed on third and fourth down to send Seattle back to the sideline without any points.