Zach Charbonnet scored on an 8-yard run with 5:31 remaining as the Seattle Seahawks rallied for a 26-21 victory against the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford, N.J.
The NFC West-leading Seahawks (7-5) won their third consecutive game while the Jets (3-9) lost for the eighth time in their past nine outings.
The deciding nine-play, 71-yard drive was aided by a pair of Jets penalties after they had stopped Seattle on fourth-and-1. The first was a pass interference call on Qwan’tez Stiggers and the second was for a horse-collar tackle by Solomon Thomas.
The Jets had a first down at Seattle’s 29-yard line with two minutes remaining, but Aaron Rodgers was sacked on third down and threw incomplete into the end zone on fourth down with 38 seconds to go.
Rodgers, who will turn 41 Monday, was 21-of-39 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Davante Adams made five catches for 66 yards and a score and Breece Hall rushed for a game-high 60 yards on 12 attempts.
Seattle’s Geno Smith, a second-round pick by the Jets in 2013 who was making his return to MetLife Stadium, completed 20 of 31 passes for 206 yards and one TD. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf each made four catches, combining for 140 yards.
The Jets opened the scoring as Rodgers threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Adams.
Seattle’s Dee Williams fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the 27-yard line and the Jets recovered. Four plays later, Rodgers threw a 4-yard TD pass to Isaiah Davis to make it 14-0.
The Seahawks cut their deficit in half as Smith threw a 12-yard scoring strike to tight end AJ Barner.
Kene Nwangwu, making his Jets debut, returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to give New York a 21-7 lead.
Seattle’s Laviska Shenault Jr. muffed the next kickoff, picked the ball back up and then fumbled, with Jets kicker Anders Carlson recovering at the Seahawks’ 38.
New York had third-and-7 at Seattle’s 9 when defensive lineman Leonard Williams, a former Jet, dropped into coverage, picked off Rodgers’ pass and returned it 92 yards for a score. The point-after try was blocked.
A 54-yard field goal by Seattle’s Jason Myers cut the Jets’ lead to 21-16 at the half.
The Seahawks had first-and-goal at the 4 midway through the third quarter but failed to score despite getting a new set of downs because of a pass interference call in the end zone. Smith was sacked for a 15-yard loss on fourth-and-1.
Following a fumble by Hall, the Seahawks pulled within 21-19 on Myers’ 43-yard field goal with 13:11 remaining.