Special teams woes nearly derail Seahawks’ win over Jets

Head coach Mike Macdonald jokingly named punter Michael Dickson the “honorary” player of the game for the Seattle Seahawks.

Jokes aside, special teams nearly cost the Seahawks as they escaped with a 26-21 victory over the reeling New York Jets to remain atop the NFC West.

Seahawks win | Instant Reaction | Observations | 5 craziest things | Stats

After blocking an extra point on New York’s first touchdown drive, it was all downhill for Seattle’s special teams unit during a disastrous first half Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The Seahawks fumbled away two kickoff returns, allowed a kickoff return to go for a touchdown and had an extra point blocked to give the Jets life and a chance to spoil Seattle’s playoff push.

The issues started with the return game.

After the Jets’ first score, rookie Dee Williams took a return to the left sideline and had the ball ripped out of his inside arm for a fumble, which the Jets recovered at Seattle’s 27-yard line. Four plays later, New York was in the end zone to take a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.

.@matayo_echols comes up with the ball!

📺 #SEAvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/1eRlgmmMS9

— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 1, 2024

Then with the Seahawks trailing 21-7 in the second quarter, Laviska Shenualt Jr. mishandled a kickoff, which he recovered for a moment only to end up fumbling it away to give the Jets the ball at Seattle’s 38 with a chance to go up three scores. The defense made up for Shenault’s mistake six players later on Leonard Williams’ 92-yard pick-six that cut the deficit to 21-13.

FOOTBALL IS FUN 👏

📺 #SEAvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/67USN91uZf

— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 1, 2024

Shenault also muffed a kickoff return between the lost fumbles, making the recovery but going down at the 12-yard line. That time he was picked up by an 88-yard Seahawks touchdown drive.

Dee Williams has now lost three combined fumbles on kickoff and punt returns and Shenault two on kickoff returns this season. The pair have accounted for all but two of the team’s lost fumbles.

“We’ve got to protect the ball better in the in the kicking game for sure, so we’ll definitely review that,” head coach Mike Macdonald said after the game.

Race for NFC West: Seahawks alone in the lead, but for how long?

Meanwhile, Seattle’s kickoff return group was gashed for two long returns.

After the Seahawks cut the deficit to 14-7 with their first score, New York’s Kene Nwangwu escaped a pair of tackles and found the seam for a 99-yard TD return to go up 21-7. The Jets ripped off another long kickoff return to the Seahawks’ 44-yard line following the blocked extra point after Williams’ pick-six.

YOU GOTTA WATCH THIS!!!!

📺 #SEAvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/pclb8ThICP

— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 1, 2024

“Yeah, seems like it’s kind of a comedy of things on each one … a couple missed tackles here and then we had a miscommunication on another one,” Macdonald said of the long kickoff returns. “So we got to take a look at that and make sure we’re on the same page and we’re going in the right direction.”

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seahawks DL Leonard Williams playing at ‘all-time elite level’
• Seahawks punter Dickson jokingly named ‘honorary player of the game’
• Seattle DB gets fine from NFL he knew was coming
• NFC West Check-In: Arizona Cardinals lose close one to Vikings
• Evaluating Seattle Seahawks’ best and worst picks from five recent drafts

Follow @ZacHereth