THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Geno's great, but it could be time to turn to Lock

Geno Smith cannot get you to the Super Bowl.

Not unless he buys tickets.

I honestly wish we didn’t have to discuss this, and come to the obvious conclusion.

Geno is a great guy, a good leader, and a solid teammate.

As an NFL quarterback, though, he’s distinctly average — and a long way from possessing the unique skill set that allows the league’s very few elite QBs to play on through January.

I know, I know.

It seems a little strange that I’d bring up Smith’s shortcomings, and the Seahawks’ problem on offense, just a few days after Baltimore shredded the Seattle defense for 298 yards rushing.

Actually, I was going to write this column a week sooner, but to his credit, Geno came back from a three-quarter coma to lead a game-winning, fourth-quarter TD drive against Cleveland.

The problems were there to see in that game, too, but people think you’re going a little batty if you sound like a doomsayer after a pass that beats the Browns with 38 seconds left in the game.

I’m afraid, however, that the win over Cleveland demonstrated Geno’s courage — but not the sort of talent that’s sustainable, drive after drive and game after game.

SO, AM I suggesting that Pete Carroll needs to pull the trigger and give Drew Lock a shot at running the Seahawks offense?

Well.

Yes.

Look, Seattle is not going to reach the Super Bowl this year.

The Ravens proved that by exposing quite a few weaknesses last weekend — not to mention the rash of injuries that have prevented the Hawks from keeping some continuity on the offensive line.

But over the next two or three years?

There is some serious talent on this roster, but Carroll needs at least one more season to fit the puzzle pieces together.

That brings us to the quarterback job.

I truly believe that Carroll and GM John Schneider will go all-in to grab a QB out of the deep college class in the 2024 draft.

The NFL has changed.

There is so much speed and skill on defense these days, you can’t get away with a quarterback who drops straight back in the pocket and goes to work from there.

Not on every play.

Offenses have to find ways to combat all these new looks.

Among other things, you need a quarterback who is genuinely athletic.

Yes, these guys have to throw darts all over the field, but sometimes they have to do it while rolling out — or more accurately, running for their lives.

I can’t pretend that I know how Lock would manage the Seahawks offense.

I AM pretty sure, though, that Lock’s athleticism would introduce some chaos — keeping defenses from having an immobile target who’s stuck in a collapsing pocket.

Naysayers bring up Lock’s interceptions in his first couple of years in Denver.

That was a crazy situation, with a young QB trying to deal with new coaches and new coordinators every season. 

Drew has worked with the Seahawks coaches for some time now, and we know he has a big arm and good legs.

That matters.

Lock isn’t Lamar Jackson, but we saw last week how a mobile quarterback helps a running game. 

Defenders have to account for a guy like Jackson, which makes blocking so much easier on plays going in another direction.

IT’S A shame that Geno Smith can’t scramble around and keep safeties and linebackers on their heels. 

But he can’t.

I’m sure you heard or read that Geno has been responsible for eight turnovers in the past four games — plus two more throws that would have been returned for TDs if they hadn’t been dropped.

“Geno throws a beautiful pass,” an NFL scout told me. “He can really spin the thing.

“The problem is that he’s got the interception gene. Eventually, he’s gonna throw it to somebody he didn’t see.”

I’m bringing this up now because the Seahawks have a brutal schedule the rest of the way — and yet with a 5-3 record, they still have a shot at the playoffs.

So.

Why not give Lock the keys to the offense now, and see how he handles things?

The Seahawks need to know what QB talent they have on the roster before next year’s draft.

Geno Smith does not bring the juice necessary to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Look at the teams who have a legitimate shot at it, and check who’s playing quarterback.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are building a special team here.

They might be pretty damn electric in a year or two. 

But they have to find a driver.

Soon.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”