SEATTLE -- Sam Darnold has a favorite adjective for first-year Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury: stoic.
"Whether it's a good play or bad play," Darnold said over the summer, "his mentality never changes out there on the field."
That was true even when a wrench was thrown into Fleury's playcalling debut -- his starting quarterback going down on the fifth play of the Seahawks' season opener with what was later determined to be a glute injury.
After taking over for Darnold, backup Drew Lock led five straight scoreless possessions. With the Seahawks trailing by seven early in the fourth quarter, they faced a fourth-and-1 from the New England Patriots' 45-yard line. Fleury put the ball in Lock's hands, dialing up a play-action throw that resulted in a tying touchdown to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With Darnold watching on his phone from a nearby hospital, Lock led another field goal drive on the ensuing possession, and Seattle's defense sealed a 13-10 win with a third interception of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
Afterward, Lock credited Fleury for providing a calming voice amid the chaos.
"I think as a quarterback, with someone in the headset, you want them [to have the same demeanor] all the time," Lock said. "It was awesome to feel that from him tonight and see that from him and know that's what we're going to get moving forward."