Leonard Williams was running down the sideline, getting closer to the end zone after intercepting Aaron Rodgers. His 92-yard interception return in the second quarter gave the Seahawks the momentum they needed to beat the New York Jets 26-21 on Sunday.
“I remember running with it and I thought I was running fast,” Williams said, smiling. “All my teammates were hyping me up, saying I was moving. Once I crossed the 50, I was actually looking to pitch it to somebody. I saw the whole cavalry running down the field.”
He ended up lying on his back in the end zone, exhausted after his long run.
“I literally just laid down,” Williams said. “I was exhausted.”
Williams’ performance made history. According to the NFL, he became the first player since 1982 to record multiple sacks (two), an interception-return touchdown, and a blocked kick in a single game. His interception return was also the longest ever by a defensive lineman, according to ESPN Research.
“He’s just playing at an all-time elite level,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “He’s playing out of his mind right now.”
Zach Charbonnet helped the Seahawks secure the win with an 8-yard touchdown run with 5:31 left in the game. The Seahawks (7-5) won their third straight game. Geno Smith threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner. The team had a rough start but finished strong and now holds first place in the NFC West, with Arizona losing to Minnesota.
The Jets (3-9) led for most of the game and seemed energized after their bye week. However, they were shut out in the second half.
“Plays at the end of the second quarter cost us this game,” Rodgers said. “Then comes the fourth quarter — it’s execution, it’s strain, it’s the little things, it’s accuracy. And we just have a lot to go around, myself included, first and foremost.”
Charbonnet’s touchdown came on a drive helped by four penalties on the Jets. The Jets finished the game with 12 penalties, and cornerback D.J. Reed criticized the referees after the game.
“Y’all should be ashamed of y’all selves!” Reed posted on X, including an expletive.
On fourth-and-6, the Jets were penalized for having too many players on the field. Then, when punter Michael Dickson had back problems, the Seahawks kept their offense on the field. On the next play, the Jets were penalized again for pass interference.
On another fourth-and-1, it looked like Charbonnet was stopped, but the Jets were called for a horse-collar tackle. Later, Will McDonald lined up in the neutral zone, and Charbonnet scored on the next play to give Seattle a 26-21 lead.
The Jets had a chance to mount a comeback, but Williams, a former first-round pick of the Jets in 2015, sacked Rodgers on third down. Rodgers’ final throw, a desperation attempt from the Seahawks’ 34-yard line, sailed far past Garrett Wilson and ended the game.
It was a wild first half with plenty of drama. Kene Nwangwu of the Jets had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, while the Seahawks had three fumbled kickoffs, two of which were recovered by the Jets.
“What a crazy game,” Macdonald said. “I think that’s the first time it happened in the NFL, that whole series of events in the first half. Our guys were resilient, and we didn’t bat an eye. We stayed the course.”
Geno Smith finished the game 20 of 31 for 206 yards and one touchdown in his first game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
“I’m not going to make it about myself,” Smith said. “I really did enjoy my time in New York. We’re on a mission right now. The Jets were the next opponent.”
Rodgers threw for 185 yards and two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Isaiah Davis, but he also threw the interception returned for a touchdown. The Jets have now lost three games in a row and eight of their last nine. They’re 1-6 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
The Jets took a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter on Adams’ 8-yard touchdown catch. Williams blocked the extra point. On the ensuing kickoff, Dee Williams fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Nwangwu. Four plays later, Davis caught a 4-yard touchdown pass, and Breece Hall ran in a two-point conversion.
Barner’s 12-yard touchdown catch cut the Seahawks’ deficit to 14-7 early in the second quarter.
Nwangwu then took a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, giving the Jets a 21-7 lead. The Seahawks responded when Laviska Shenault fumbled a kickoff and Carlson recovered for the Jets. The Jets were driving deep in Seahawks territory when Rodgers’ throw for Wilson was intercepted by Leonard Williams.
“I know we threw some great blocks, but I don’t think anybody would have caught him anyways,” safety Julian Love said. “That’s the Big Cat.”
