Grading the Jets’ 26-21 home loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.
Offense
Things started off promising with two touchdowns in the first quarter and then the bottom fell out. QB Aaron Rodgers (21 of 39, 185 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 73.1 QB rating) missed an open Garrett Wilson for a would-be touchdown that would have given the Jets a 28-7 lead. One play later, he threw an interception that Leonard Williams returned for a touchdown. Breece Hall (12 rushes, 60 yards) had a costly fumble late in the third quarter that led to a Seahawks score. The Jets failed again to come up with a score with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. This is the fifth time they have failed in that situation.
Grade: F
Defense
This was a vintage 2024 Jets defensive performance. The numbers don’t look so bad, but the results do. The Seahawks only managed 259 total yards but when the Jets needed to come up with a stop in the fourth quarter, they folded again. The Seahawks put together a nine-play, 71-yard drive to take the lead with 5:31 left in the game. The drive featured three penalties on fourth down and another on third down that helped Seattle reach the end zone. QB Geno Smith (20 of 31, 206 yards, 1 TD, 94.3 rating) was not great but he did not turn the ball over and led the Seahawks down the field when it mattered.
Grade: D
Special Teams
If you’re searching for a silver lining from this one, the Jets special teams had more of an impact than they have all season. Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff for a touchdown and forced a fumble on a Seahawks return. Seattle had two fumbles that the Jets recovered on returns. The Jets also blocked an extra point and had one blocked.
Grade: A-
Coaching
Jeff Ulbrich is 1-6 as the interim head coach. His team looked incredibly sloppy in the second half and handed this game to a Seahawks team that seemed to be trying to lose in the first half. The Jets had 12 penalties, eight in the fourth quarter. The offense vanished after the first quarter. The defense collapsed in the fourth quarter. Ulbrich had questionable time management at the end of the first half when he did not use any of his timeouts to try to get the ball back. This remains a terribly coached team.
Grade: F