Chaotic. Absurd. Insane. No matter how you choose to describe this game, it will never be enough. I'll settle for calling it a win for now. Despite plenty of losers, the Seahawks had more than enough winners to steal a very improbable win from the Jets.
For those 12s that turned off the TV in disgust with 10:40 left in the second quarter, I completely understand. The Seahawks had just fallen behind the woeful Jets 21-7. As if that wasn't bad enough, disaster stuck again. Oh ye of little faith. You should have trusted your team, as I did. Okay, I only kept watching because I had to write about the trainwreck unfolding in New York.
My faith - okay, contractually obligated viewership - was rewarded by not one, but two comebacks by the Hawks. Seattle came back after falling behind by two touchdowns twice in this one. The losers put that in that spot, it's true. But oh, those winners were something else, weren't they? Let's dive in, 12s, and meet the heroes and - well, the not-heroes.
The Seattle Seahawks needed every winner they could muster
I have never seen a game that featured so many bungling, ham-fisted plays. Yes, the Hawks have taken some thrashings before. But I don't recall them committing so many self-inflicted wounds. This game made the Week 9 debacle against the Rams look like a model of efficiency. I mean, how on Earth can a team - oh, never mind, I'll get to that soon enough. Let's start with something pleasant, shall we, 12s? How about the player who has emerged as the Hawks most reliable offensive weapon?
Winner: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Yes, that would the second-year wide receiver out of THE Ohio State Loserversity. Sorry, but I grew up in Michigan. Thankfully, Smith-Njigba avoided the fate of his alma mater. He again led Seattle in receiving, bringing in all four of his targets for 74 yards. This marks the fifth consecutive games he's led the Hawks in both receptions and yards.
Over that span, JSN has caught 33 of 42 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns and a passer rating when targeted of 111.31. Geno Smith's three interceptions when targeting Smith-Njigba dropped the rating significantly. Most observers agree that Smith was somewhere off-planet for two of those picks, and only one was JSN's fault. That would boost the passer rating to 131.15. Either way, it's a big jump from Smith's rating of 88.5 going into this game.
The thing is, Smith-Njigba isn't just leading the team with catches and yards. True, he has only three scores in that span, but the catches he does make all seem to come at the most critical moments for the Seahawks. He hauled in a pair of 25-yard catches on Seattle's first scoring drive, to pull them back to within a touchdown of the Jets. Later he picked up 24 yards on fourth and six on the drive that eventually pulled Seattle to within two points on a 43-yard Jason Myers field goal. Yes, JSN was that good today.
Loser: Seahawks offensive line
Yeah, I know you're tired of reading about it. As I've written after virtually every game, I'm tired of writing it, too. But frankly, I don't know how you can say this offensive line played well. Were they better than they were three or four weeks ago? Oh, of course they were. In Week 9 they gave up seven sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and eight tackles for a loss against the Rams. Los Angeles allowed zero sacks, seven QB hits, and five tackles for a loss. Bob Condotta justly graded the line a D minus for that performance.
Against the Jets, Geno Smith was sacked three times and hit six times. The line also gave up seven tackles for a loss. For this effort, Mr. Condotta assigned the line a B minus. Listen, Condotta is a brilliant writer, but he's clearly grading on the curve here. That should not be an above-average result in anyone's grade book. The Hawks had first and goal at the Jets four-yard line and could only move the ball one yard on three plays. A penalty gave them a fresh set of downs from the NY one. Another penalty gave them five shots at the end zone. Five plays, and they came away with nothing.
This line has elevated itself above atrocious, but barely. Name one team that would trade offensive lines with the Hawks. You know what a good offensive line looks like? You saw it in Week 8 against the Bills. Buffalo allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits, and zero tackles for a loss. That is what a winning offensive line looks like.
Winner: Mike Macdonald
To say that Mike Macdonald proved himself a winner in this game would be a gross understatement. I really need to address the details more completely and will do so later. For now, let me say that he clearly showed he's the leader this team needs. That applies to his decisions not just during this game, either. Not one, but two calls to go for it on fourth and six? And another on one of those drives to again go for the first down on fourth and one? That shows guts, and belief in your team.
Seattle scored 10 points on those two drives. The first resulted in a field goal to pull the Hawks within two points of the Jets. The second took the lead for good on a Zach Charbonnet run. Mike Macdonald has this team on the right path. And after all the mishaps in the first half, that took some serious coaching ability.
Loser: Jay Harbaugh and the special teams unit
Speaking of mishaps...wow. The Seahawks special teams unit seemed to do everything in their power to throw this game into the garbage with their terrible play in the first half. Talk about a dumpster fire - this was the equivalent of an entire landfill set ablaze. Jay Harbaugh has to put this out, now.
Dee Williams fumbled the kickoff after the Jets scored their first points. Laviska Shenault Jr. muffed not one, but two kickoff returns and fumbled the second away to the Jets. It's a miracle those two turnovers only resulted in one score. Namely, a 300-pound miracle. We'll get to him, don't worry. Teh special teams unit wasn't done. While they blocked an extra point - courtesy of that same 300-pounder - they also allowed a blocked point after.
Worst of all, they gave up a 99-yard kickoff return by Kene Nwangyu. Jason Myers did make a pair of long field goals, but it might help the Seahawks even more if he kicked the ball even a few yards into the end zone on kickoffs. The Hawks kickoff return yardage totaled just 36 yards on three kicks, and six on one punt. The Jets added a 45-yard return in addition to the scoring return. That cannot happen for the Hawks to continue their three-game wining streak.
Winner: Julian Love
The Hawks Pro Bowl safety would have been Seattle's defensive player of the game if not for the unbelievable performance turned in by his teammate. His six total tackles were second on the team behind - you guessed it, Ernest Jones. Love broke up a pass, and while he did allow three catches on three targets, the Jets gained a total of seven yards on those plays.
Most impressive of all, Love again channeled his inner Kam Chancellor. With the Jets mounting a drive in the third quarter, Breece Hall reached midfield when he was met with Love's shoulder. Love's hit separated the ball from Hall, and probably a substantial portion of his soul as well. I think it's telling that with a five point lead and 13:06 left left in the game, Hall touched the ball just twice after that hit. He'd had 55 yards on 11 carries up to that point. Love is an absolute savage on the field.
Winner: Leonard Williams
Finally, we come to the player of the game. Game, heck. Make that the player of the year. Yes, the Big Cat's 92-yard interception return was a thing of beauty. But that was really just one of his standout efforts. Yes, he's the guy that blocked the Jets first extra point try. He also had two sacks, two quarterback hits, and two tackles for a loss. Williams played a game of historic proportions:
In today's @Seahawks victory, @leonardwilliams became the 1st player since 1982 with multiple sacks, an interception-return TD & a blocked kick in a game. pic.twitter.com/i00ETb2P0x
— NFL345 (@NFL345) December 1, 2024
As Mike Macdonald was quoted by Matt Calkins for The Seattle Times, "He's playing out of his mind right now." Williams said this after his second consecutive spectacular game, "I just feel like I have more grown-man strength now, and feel like even when I’m not making a play, I feel like I’m more dominant on the field.” Um, grown man? Mr. Williams is playing more like a 900-pound Siberian tiger.
One thing that puzzled me about his game-changing return. Notice how none of the Jets skill players bothered to give chase? Yes, Williams had an absolute convoy escorting him to the end zone. The chances of getting through his blockers was slim. But two linemen tried to chase him down. Where were the guys with an actual chance to catch up to him? Okay, Xavier Gipson tried, but that's it.
Nothing shows me the difference between these two teams more than that play. Yes, the special teams were atrocious. But they didn't give up on the plays, they made mistakes. We all remember when DK Metcalf flew 115 yards downfield to tackle Budda Baker and save a touchdown. The Seahawks show heart. The Jets - well, let's just say, not so much.