Seahawks emerge from mess of game with win vs. Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Had one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history — Aaron Rodgers — been able to hit a wide-open Garrett Wilson in the end zone midway through the second quarter, this game might have been over almost before it started.

Instead, Rodgers’ misfire helped set the stage for one of the more amazing Seattle Seahawks comebacks in team history.

The Seahawks rallied from deficits of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first half — each largely the result of their own special-teams miscues — to beat the New York Jets 26-21 at MetLife Stadium.

They are 7-5 on the season, winning three in a row, and in sole possession of first place in the NFC West thanks to Arizona’s 23-22 loss to Minnesota. The Seahawks are 7-0 on the field where they won their only Super Bowl in 2014.

The Seahawks got the winning score on an 8-yard run by Zach Charbonnet with 5:31 left, then held off one final Jets drive that got to the 29.

Four plays from there got nothing, typifying a day when the Seahawks defense was the one consistent unit on either side of the field, holding New York to just 258 yards and 4.2 per play.

The Seahawks would have been up against it had Rodgers connected with Wilson in the second quarter.

The play, which snapped from the Seattle 9-yard-line, could have put the Jets up by 21 against a bumbling, stumbling, fumbling Seahawks team that would have had to pull off the largest comeback in team history to win.

Instead, Rodgers’ pass was a little too far and a diving Wilson couldn’t get it.

A play later, Rodgers tried to again hit Wilson, this time over the middle.

Only, much to his surprise, Rodgers instead found defensive end Leonard Williams, who had dropped into coverage — something he had done only seven previous times in 477 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Williams tipped and caught the pass and took off down the sidelines, chugging his way to a 92-yard pick-six.

It was the Seahawks’ second straight game with a pick-six — the first time the Seahawks have pulled that off since 2012. It was the second straight year in this stadium the Seahawks had a pick-six — Devon Witherspoon’s 97-yarder keyed a win over the Giants here last October.

Fittingly, the extra point was blocked — one of a handful of special-teams mistakes for the Seahawks to leave the score at 21-13.

But the play got the Seahawks right back in it.

And from there a MetLife crowd that has seen season after season of Jets foibles seemed resigned to its fate as they fell to 3-9.

The Seahawks’ winning drive was officially 71 yards in nine plays in 6:03. It featured five penalties by the Jets, all on third or fourth down.

This time of year, the Seahawks will take wins any way they can get them.

The first 22 minutes was as mistake-prone as the Seahawks have played all year.

A face mask (by Williams no less) on a third-down stop helped lead to the Jets’ first TD and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Dee Williams fumbled the kickoff and Rodgers led a quick 24-yard scoring drive to make it 14-0 late in the first quarter.

Geno Smith hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for two 25-yard passes to move 88 yards in 10 plays to cut the lead to 14-7 early in the second quarter.

In setting the tone for a game of big plays, New York second-year running back Kene Nwangwu — who was elevated off the practice squad the year before — returned the kickoff 99 yards for a TD and a 21-7 New York lead.

Laviska Shenault Jr. fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Jets got it at the Seattle 38. A 19-yard Rodgers-to-Adams pass got the Jets close and it was easy to envision TVs throughout Seattle about to turn off.

Then came Rodgers’ off-target pass and Williams’ return.

Down 21-16, the Seahawks seemed set to take the lead when a Smith pass to Metcalf gave them a first down at the Jets’ 4-yard line midway through the third quarter.

The Seahawks ran six official plays — and two others negated by Jets penalties — without getting it in.

Both Jets’ penalties came on third-down stops, one a pass interference drawn by Metcalf that gave the Seahawks a first down at the one.

After a Walker run was held to no gain, Smith threw off target to Noah Fant, and on third down a pass to Metcalf in the end zone fell incomplete.

On fourth-and-1, Smith lined up in the shotgun and appeared trying to hit Smith-Njigba crossing into the flat. But New York star lineman Quinnen Williams got quickly past the line, which compelled Smith to not throw it and pivot and try to buy time.

That didn’t work as Smith was sacked by Quincy Williams back to the 16.

One more time, the Jets appeared in position to take control of the game, using two Seahawks penalties to move out of danger.

As Breece Hall broke into the open into Seahawks territory he fumbled when hit by safety Julian Love.

Tyrice Knight picked it up and the Seahawks had the ball at its own 41.

They went for it on a fourth-and-1 at the New York 39 that became fourth-and-6 at the 44 following a false start on rookie guard Sataoa Laumea, getting his first career start.

No matter, on the next play Smith backpedaled out of a rush and lofted a pass to Smith-Njigba for 24 yards.

That led to a 43-yard Myers field goal that made it 21-19 with 13:11 remaining in the game.

Two penalties on the Jets led to a three-and-out and the Seahawks got the ball back their own 29 with 11:34 remaining.

With punter Michael Dickson being treated for a back issue in the locker room, the Seahawks lined up to go for it on fourth-and-6 at their own 33. The Jets were called for too many men on the field, making it fourth-and-1.

Then the Jets were called for a defensive pass interference, giving the Seahawks a first down at the 43.

A few plays later, Seahawks faced another fourth down at the 33.

Another Jets penalty got the Seahawks another first down as New York’s Solomon Thomas was called for a horse-collar tackle on Charbonnet.

That gave the Seahawks a first down at the New York 17 with 7:01 to play and set up Charbonnet’s game-winner a few minutes later.

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