The Jets once again had a chance to win at home, but the Seattle Seahawks escaped with a five-point victory to ensure New York’s ninth straight losing season. In this one, the Jets blew a 14-point first-half lead and lost a one-score game for the sixth time in 2024, while the Seahawks consolidated their position atop a competitive NFC West.
There are many words fans could use to describe the first half, but “boring” wouldn’t be one of them.
The Jets stormed to a 21-7 lead on Aaron Rodgers’ pair of touchdown passes and a 99-yard kickoff return by Kene Nwangwu, and looked poised to further increase that lead. But midway through the second quarter, Seahawks veteran Leonard Williams intercepted Rodgers and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. The Jets were unable to score again the rest of the way.
The pick-six from Leonard — which happened to be Rodgers’ first career red zone interception returned for a touchdown — was the longest return by a 300-pounder in NFL history, according to the broadcast, and it helped cut the Jets’ the lead to 21-16 by halftime. Williams also contributed two-sacks and a blocked kick against his former team.
The Jets continued to lead throughout most of an ugly second half, but the Seahawks took the lead on Zach Charbonnet’s eight-yard touchdown run with 5:34 left in regulation, and New York came up short on its final drive.
Here are some takeaways…
– There’s no question Rodgers was feeling healthier and moving around with more freedom than he has for most of the season. Look no further than the first quarter series in which he led the way with a block on a Malachi Corley run, and then scrambled around to keep the play alive for several seconds before throwing an incompletion on the next play. Rodgers threw his first Jets touchdown pass to Davante Adams on the ensuing play.
– In spite of those encouraging moments, Rodgers completed less than half of his pass attempts in the first half and was once again held below 200 passing yards for the entire game. His pick-six occurred as he tried to force the ball to Garrett Wilson, one play after he misfired when Wilson was wide open in the end zone. Wilson’s lone catch of the first half was a three-yard gain on the play right after the two-minute warning, and he finished with five receptions on 10 targets for 41 yards.
– Nwangwu, who was elevated from the practice squad earlier in the week, made an impact in his Jets debut with the first-half kickoff return score. But that highlight wasn’t the only spark he brought. He also forced a fumble to set up the Jets’ second touchdown and had a key block on a long Xavier Gipson kickoff return.
– While it didn’t necessarily translate to the box score, Quinnen Williams stood out in a dominant first half that saw him penetrating against the run and generating pressure on a consistent basis. He also blocked a kick. During times like these, the Jets need their top players to step up, and Williams has developed into a player who leads by example.
– With Breece Hall banged up, the Jets tried to get Braelon Allen and third-stringer Isaiah Davis involved more in the backfield. Davis had the more success of the two, scoring his first touchdown on a four-yard pass from Rodgers to make the score 14-7. However, Hall fumbled twice, losing one.
– Will McDonald broke a string of four games without a sack, as he twice brought down Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in the second half. Those plays bumped his season sack total up to 10, as he’s been one of the few bright spots in a disappointing year for the Jets’ defense.
– Adams was the Jets’ most productive offensive weapon for most of the game, but he logged just five catches on 12 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. It could’ve been a much bigger day for him, though, as he had a 38-yard deep catch overturned due to an offensive pass interference call, and dropped a fourth-down pass over the top. It’s obvious that Adams is still not quite on the same page with Rodgers, and Wilson’s production seems to have fallen off as they work to rectify this.
– Penalties killed the Jets once again this week, despite the fact that they played disciplined football in the first half. Their 10 second-half penalties extended drives and negated key plays over and over again to keep Seattle’s comeback bid alive.
Highlights
What’s next
The Jets (3-9) will travel south for a Week 14 divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins (5-7), with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, at Hard Rock Stadium.
