The Seahawks looked like they were about to be blown out by the Jets in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but a former Jet came up with a game-turning play.
After the Seahawks’ second lost fumble on a kickoff of the first half, the Jets drove inside the 10-yard-line with a 21-7 lead. Aaron Rodgers missed a wide-open Garrett Wilson in the end zone on second down and a third-down pass was deflected into the hands of defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who returned it for a 92-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks would remain behind the Jets into the fourth quarter, but Williams’s score kept things within reach and Zach Charbonnet finally got them a lead with an eight-yard score with 5:31 left to play. The Jets’ ensuing drive ended when Rodgers and Wilson couldn’t connect in the end zone on a fourth down and the Seahawks could celebrate a 26-21 road win.
Williams added two sacks in what must have been a satisfying win against the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2015 draft. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was one of his teammates back then as well and Smith was 20-of-31 for 206 yards and a score in his first game against his former team in the stadium he once called home.
The drive that ended with Charbonnet’s score was indicative of how the entire Jets season has gone. The Seahawks went for it on fourth-and-6 from their own 33-yard-line because punter Michael Dickson had a back injury, but the Jets were flagged for having 12 men on the field. The Seahawks went again, cornerback Qwan’Tez Stiggers was flagged for pass interference and the Seahawks converted another fourth down a few plays later on a horse collar tackle by defensive tackle Solomon Thomas.
There were 12 penalties on the Jets overall and those kinds of mistakes have been an issue for the Jets all season. So have extended offensive droughts and Sunday’s saw them fail to score on their final eight possessions. In addition to Rodgers’s interception, they lost a Breece Hall fumble and failed to convert a fourth down during the second quarter. That fumble was forced by Seahawks safety Julian Love and he was impactful all day for the winning side.
In addition to the fumbles by kick returners Dee Williams and Laviska Shenault, the Seahawks also allowed a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kene Nwangwu. That leaves them with much to clean up in the kicking game.
Sunday’s loss guarantees the 3-9 Jets will have a losing season and they’ll try to avoid their 10th loss in Miami next Sunday. The 7-5 Seahawks will be in Arizona with a chance to strengthen their grip on the NFC West.
