Here’s where the Seahawks’ quarterback competition stands with one week left in preseason

Drew Lock has remained sick.

Geno Smith has problems moving the offense, with false-start penalties — and with Seattle’s fans booing him and his unit during a home exhibition game.

Pete Carroll has a big decision to make on how he plays the final preseason game.

Where does the Seahawks’ competition to succeed Russell Wilson at quarterback sit with one week left in the preseason?

Stalled.

Per NFL protocol that follows CDC guidance, Lock is on a five-day quarantine following his positive test Tuesday for COVID-19. Day five is Saturday. The first day he could return is Sunday. That’s when the Seahawks return to practicing following their ugly, 27-11 loss to Chicago in the second preseason game.

That’s if he feels well. As of Thursday morning, he did not. When his coach talked to him at his home, Lock was still quite ill from the coronavirus that the quarterback has at least one other time before this.

“He’s really sick. He’s sick,” Carroll said Thursday night. “I think it was (Thursday) morning, or something, I talked to him. It hit him pretty hard.”

Smith’s issues

Smith started for the second preseason game in five days Thursday. He led the starting offense to four three-and-out drives, one drive of net minus-7 yards and one conversion on its first 11 third downs against the Bears. The Seahawks had 13 penalties Thursday. Smith missed on six of his first 13 passes. Three of those were off the hands of his receivers.

“Had some self-inflicted wounds, some things that we can control that really set us back,” Smith said. “And that’s the reason for the preseason, for us to get those things out.

“And, obviously, there’s a ton of room for improvement — and a lot of things that we have to improve on very fast.”

The fans at three-fourths full Lumen Field were booing Smith and the starting offense by the second quarter Thursday, when the Seahawks trailed 17-0.

“He did OK. We needed to come through (for him). We needed to help a little bit,” Carroll said. “We needed to make the plays around him. We missed a block on the screen. We missed a third-down conversion. There’s another one in there.

“He’s running the show well. He’s doing OK. Got out of the pocket when he needed to, and threw a couple really good balls that could have been converted. We have to come through for him. Our receivers have to make the plays for him.”

The coach is relying on the fact top receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett played only one series against the Bears and not at all at Pittsburgh in the first preseason game. Third receiver, veteran Marquise Goodwin, sat out Thursday’s game coming off injury. Lead running back Rashaad Penny hasn’t played this preseason, also to preserve him.

“We need to see DK and (Lockett) and the fellows out there. We’re going to count on DK and Lock and Marquise (Goodwin) has a chance to help us. And (Dee) Eskridge has a chance, Eskridge had a chance to come back this week.

“We need those guys to come through if he’s going to be good.”

Will they play in Dallas next week?

How to do Dallas?

More to the point, will Carroll depart from his usual plan for a final preseason game and have his starters play longer, with Lock to give him a more-equal shot at winning the QB job?

So far, Lock has been almost exclusively with the second-team offense — aside from about a dozen snaps in scrimmages during training camp and one day last week as the starter in practice ahead of Smith. That was Tuesday.

About 90 minutes after that practice and Carroll named Lock the starter against Thursday’s game against the Bears, the Seahawks announced Lock had tested positive for COVID.

At this point, the coaches have put themselves in their own time crunch getting Lock playing time with the starters this preseason. There’s only one chance left. That’s assuming Lock recovers from the coronavirus in time to play against the Cowboys Friday.

Carroll acknowledged he’s “curious” how much better the Seahawks and their offense might look with Lock running them. The 25-year-old former Denver quarterback threw two touchdown passes last weekend in Pittsburgh, tying and retying the game, while running the twos in the entire second half. He also lost a fumble late on a sack for which he took the blame with the game on the line late. The Steelers converted his mistake into the winning touchdown in the final seconds.

“It’s disappointing that he didn’t get a chance to play tonight. We had a different plan for this night, and we weren’t able to execute it,” Carroll said after the Chicago game Lock missed. “Couldn’t do anything about it.

“I’m still curious to see how he plays with us. Yeah, I am. And he’s done enough good things. He’s got some real stuff to him and some real exciting ability and play-making stuff that you all see when he does get his chances eventually. And just disappointed we didn’t get to know some more about it (Thursday).”

Asked if he will play his starters longer in Friday’s game at Dallas to extend’s Lock’s his only chance with the ones in a game this preseason, Carroll demurred.

“Really, I postponed the thought of that. And we have a long week here. We’ll figure it out,” the coach said. “I don’t know exactly how to do that yet because I don’t have to. So I’ll let you know.”

The leader always coy about detailing playing time smiled.

“I might let you know,” he said. “I’m not very good letting you guys know that stuff.”

Here’s the thing: Carroll doesn’t have to decide the winner of this quarterback competition when the preseason games end Friday.

The Seahawks have an usually long break from games from the preseason finale until the season opener, Sept. 12 against Wilson’s Broncos and Lumen Field. It’s 16 days. That’s a product of the NFL dropping its fourth preseason game that used to be played on the Thursday entering Labor Day weekend.

That’s 16 days and at least nine practices — counting the players’ holiday weekend off — the Seahawks have between the Dallas game and the season starting. They could decide between Smith and Lock in that span.

“Am I worried? No,” Carroll said. “What I am, I want to maintain my patience knowing who’s playing and the guys that are going to play on game day when we open up. I’m more concerned about, are they ready based on the amount of work that they’ve been able to get?...

“These next two weeks are enormous for the other — the guys who haven’t been playing in the games — and to make sure they’re ready. They feel like they are. They can’t wait to get out there. They have a sense that the pups are out there playing for them.

“We’ve got some really good players that aren’t out there right now. And so we know that. So preseason is good. We’re learning a lot.”

Except about Drew Lock.