Seahawks beat Arizona 17-3 as Drew Lock plays through oblique injury; Raiders QB plan unclear

The Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-3 on Sunday with their backup quarterback playing hurt, and now they don't know who will start next week. Drew Lock started for the injured Sam Darnold and hurt his oblique early in the third quarter. He didn't miss a snap. Coach Mike Macdonald said afterward that it's uncertain whether either quarterback will be available for Sunday's game at Las Vegas, ESPN reported.

Lock came into the game already managing an elbow problem in his throwing arm. CBS Sports described it as tendinitis. The elbow had kept him inactive for the previous two games, and he threw only once in practice last week, on Thursday. He was hurt on a roll-out throw and spent time in the medical tent after the drive, which ended in a Jason Myers field goal. Then he went back in. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. Tight end AJ Barner caught both Seattle touchdowns. Lock told reporters he felt "not too bad" and said he was confident he could play against the Raiders if needed.

Darnold missed the game with a quad injury from the end of the Monday night loss to Chicago, where he also played through a cracked rib. Macdonald said he did not have a good read on Darnold's chances of returning this week and expected to re-evaluate both quarterbacks early in the week. If neither can go, CBS Sports noted, the job falls to third-round rookie Jalen Milroe. Milroe has taken three NFL snaps, and all three were runs. Adrian Martinez is on the practice squad.

Lock's record in relief this season is spotless. Seattle has won all three games he has run the offense: the opener against New England after Darnold left early, a 31-7 win at Arizona and Sunday's rematch. He has not turned the ball over in any of them. The win was also Seattle's 11th straight over the Cardinals, the longest winning streak over one opponent in franchise history, according to ESPN. The offense managed it without two starting linemen, left tackle Charles Cross and left guard Quenton Nelson.

What it means for Las Vegas

The Seahawks are 5-4 and have alternated wins and losses over the last four weeks. The defense has kept that from being worse. Seattle has held two of its last three opponents, Kansas City and Arizona, to three points each. Over nine games the Seahawks are scoring 22.4 points and allowing 18.0 on average. The four losses came against Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Washington, and Seattle gave up 116 points in those games. That's a different team from the one that has allowed 46 points in five wins. After the Raiders, Seattle has its bye, then goes to San Francisco.

The board for Seattle at Las Vegas has the Seahawks favored across 10 venues, even with the quarterback question open. Novig lists Seattle at -170 and Las Vegas at +156. The best Seattle price anywhere is -155 at theScore Bet, which pays $64.52 per $100 compared with $58.82 at Novig. On the spread, Novig has Seattle at -3.5 (-102), while theScore Bet offers -3 at -110. The Raiders are +3.5 at -122 on Novig and +3.5 at -110 at bet365. Novig sets the total at 43.5, and BetMGM has 43. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline runs from 3.3% to 6.4%, so it pays to compare venues.

The total is a little above Seattle's season scoring average. If Milroe has to start, CBS Sports expects a more run-heavy offense. The Seahawks ran for 120 yards Sunday, one of their better rushing games this season, and CBS Sports noted that Las Vegas has struggled against the run.