Jets blow 14-point lead to Seahawks in mistake-filled performance to ensure losing season

The Jets had a 14-point lead in the first quarter, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, recovered two fumbles on kickoffs and had the ball at the 9-yard line with the chance to go up three touchdowns … and lost.

These are the 2024 Jets — somehow snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at every turn. They are the anti-Chiefs, a team that finds a way to lose.

That was on display again Sunday as the Jets committed 12 penalties, had two turnovers that led to nine Seattle points and failed to score an offensive touchdown after the first quarter on their way to a 26-21 loss to the Seahawks.

The Jets stand at 3-9 after losing three straight and eight of their last nine games. It is the ninth straight losing season for a franchise that has cornered the market on ways to lose.

“I feel like if it was like an analytic, it would probably say if you recover a kickoff and score a kick return, you’re probably not supposed to lose,” Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner said. “Literally everything was going our way. Out of my three years being here, that’s the first time I was like, ‘Can’t nothing go wrong for us.’

“I’m kind of shocked. I’ve never seen nothing like it. Everything goes our way and [we] still lose.”

The Jets blew leads of 14-0 and 21-7 as the offense stalled and the defense stumbled, and now the Jets are just counting the days until this miserable season is over.

Sunday’s game swung in a crazy sequence in the second quarter. The Jets took a 21-7 lead on a 99-yard kickoff return by Kene Nwangwu, who was elevated from the practice squad for the game. The Seahawks then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, their second fumbled kickoff of the game, and the Jets recovered at the Seattle 38.

The Jets moved the ball to the Seattle 9-yard line. On second down, Aaron Rodgers missed an open Garrett Wilson in the end zone, a potential completion that would have given the Jets a three-touchdown lead. On the next play, Rodgers’ short pass was tipped and then intercepted by Leonard Williams, the former Jets first-round pick, and returned 92 yards for a touchdown.

Suddenly, a 28-7 would-be Jets lead became a 21-13 Jets lead and the Seahawks had life. The Jets would not score again.

“It’s disappointing,” Rodgers said. “I mean, what else can you say? We’ve had a lot of chances in these situations, a lot of these games come down to one play and whether you make it or miss it and sometimes that play comes in the second quarter. If you make that play, 28-7, different ball game.”

Two Seahawks field goals made it 21-19 in the fourth quarter and then the Jets completely melted down. The Jets committed eight of their 12 penalties in the fourth quarter. It started with an offensive pass interference penalty on Davante Adams that wiped out a 42-yard gain. That was followed by a delay of game that basically ended a Jets drive.

The Jets defense then had a miserable series. The Seahawks were going for it on fourth-and-6 after an injury to their punter but the Jets were confused. They initially sent out the punt return team, then called them back but returner Xavier Gipson stayed on the field, drawing a penalty for too many men on the field. That was followed by pass interference from rookie Qwan’tez Stiggers on fourth-and-1 to give Seattle a first down.

It looked like the Jets had stopped the Seahawks on fourth-and-1 but Solomon Thomas was called for a horse-collar tackle and the Seahawks had a new set of downs. Will McDonald gave them more yards by lining up in the neutral zone and then Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet scored an 8-yard touchdown to give the Seahawks a 26-21 lead.

“I have to look at every single one of those penalties and see exactly if they’re real,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “If they’re not real, what caused them, and get to the bottom of it. It’s not OK. It’s not acceptable. It’s not our standard. Penalties ultimately extend drives. We can’t let that happen.”

The Jets got the ball back with 5:31 left in the game at their own 28. They moved the ball to the Seattle 29 before losing 5 yards. The last gasp was a 34-yard heave from Rodgers toward Wilson that hit the end zone turf and ended the Jets’ hope with 38 seconds left. It was the fifth time this season the Jets had the ball in the fourth quarter with a chance to win and came up short.

The Seahawks improved to 7-5 and are in first place in the NFC West. The Jets are playing out the string in another lost season. Their coach and general manager have already been fired. It feels like the only mystery remaining is whether Rodgers will finish the season as the quarterback.

Rodgers, who turns 41 on Monday, had another bad game. He completed 21 of 39 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and the pick-six.

When asked after the game whether he would change quarterbacks, Ulbrich said, “Not as of today.” That was not very emphatic.

Rodgers was asked what his reaction would be if he gets benched.

“It’s a hypothetical,” he said. “I’ll tell you after the fact if that happens.”