By Michael-Shawn Dugar, Zack Rosenblatt and Lauren Smith
Zach Charbonnet’s rushing touchdown gave the Seattle Seahawks their first lead with less than six minutes left to play, and Seattle’s defense held off the New York Jets’ final threat as the Seahawks collected a 26-21 victory Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
After trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, Seattle (7-5) scored the game’s final 19 on the way to a third consecutive win.
The Jets (3-9) led most of the way, led by two Aaron Rodgers touchdown passes and a Kene Nwangwu 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. The Jets seemed prime to go up by at least three scores when they drove to the Seahawks’ 9-yard line. Then the Seahawks began their comeback when Leonard Williams intercepted a pass from Rodgers on third down, and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown.
Jason Myers added the first of his two field goals on Seattle’s next drive to cut the lead to 21-16 by the break.
The Jets held the lead well into the fourth quarter, but were shut out in the second half. Myers added a second field goal early in the fourth before Charbonnet’s game-winning 8-yard touchdown run late.
The Jets (3-9) have now lost three consecutive games, and eight of their past nine.
When asked if he’d consider benching Rodgers, Jets coach Jeff Ulbrich said, “Not as of today.” Ulbrich added that he wants to watch the tape before commenting on Rodgers’ performance.
Charbonnet for the lead!! pic.twitter.com/Fc5TQiPpuN
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 1, 2024
Seahawks overcome short-yardage woes
Seattle has had several games in the last month come down to whether the offense can convert in short-yardage situations, and this game was no different. The Seahawks came up empty on a goal line drive in the third quarter — which featured seven plays from inside the 4 — and would have perhaps lost this game had the Jets not committed penalties on a pair of fourth-down plays on Seattle’s go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter. The game-winning score was Seattle’s best short-yardage play of the day — an 8-yard run by Charbonnet on third-and-1. — Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seahawks beat writer
LEO TAKES IT HOME. pic.twitter.com/BzcOiWAM5g
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 1, 2024
Williams leads Seattle defense
Williams felt he should have won NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 12 after recording 2 1/2 sacks against the Cardinals (his teammate Coby Bryant won instead). Williams did his best to leave no doubt this week, putting together his second monster performance in as many weeks. Facing the team that drafted him in 2015, Williams blocked a extra-point attempt, returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown and had two sacks on the final drive of the game to propel the Seahawks to their third straight victory. — Dugar
YOU GOTTA WATCH THIS!!!!
📺 #SEAvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/pclb8ThICP
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 1, 2024
Jets score early, shut out in second half
For much of the first half, the Jets looked like the team they were supposed to be. Offense, defense and special teams were all doing their jobs — the offense had two scoring drives in the quarter, Nwangwu scored a 99-yard return touchdown and the defense was playing well. But everything changed on a sequence in the second quarter where Rodgers badly missed a wide open Garrett Wilson in the end zone and then followed it up with a brutally bad throw, intercepted by Williams, who brought it back 92 yards for a touchdown. Rodgers overall was bad outside of a few nice throws to Adams, finishing 21 of 39 for 185 yards, two touchdowns and one interception — and it’s fair to wonder if he’s going to even stick it out for the final five games. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer
Required reading
(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
