Wilson throws 4 more TDs, Seahawks rout winless Jets 40-3

SEATTLE (AP) Early in the third quarter, Pete Carroll approached Geno Smith. The backup quarterback who had never seen the field in a regular season game for the Seahawks - except for the coin toss - was going to get his chance to play.

Seattle enjoyed a blowout victory and an opportunity to ''Let Russ Rest,'' on Sunday.

''That's rare,'' Carroll said. ''Think about how few times we've ever done that.''

Russell Wilson threw four more touchdowns passes to give him a career-high 36 for the season before finally sitting in the fourth quarter, leading the Seahawks to a 40-3 rout of the New York Jets.

Seattle (9-4) rebounded exactly as it hoped after last week's surprisingly poor offensive performance in its loss to the New York Giants, and stayed even with the Los Angeles Rams on top of the NFC West.

Wilson threw touchdown passes to Freddie Swain and DK Metcalf in the first half, and added TD tosses to Will Dissly and David Moore in the third quarter. It was his fifth game this season with at least four TD passes. Metcalf commandeered a TV broadcast camera as part of his TD celebration after catching a 5-yard TD in the second quarter, his 10th of the season.

Wilson finished 21 of 27 for 206 yards and checked out late in the third quarter, giving way to Smith, the former Jets QB, for his first action since joining Seattle last season. Wilson's only mistake was a forced throw in the first half on which Marcus Maye made a terrific juggling interception.

Wilson had played every snap of the previous 49 games for Seattle. The last time he wasn't under center was Week 15 of 2017 when Seattle lost 42-7 to the Rams at home. His previous career high in TD passes came in 2018.

It was also a rare blowout for Seattle. The Seahawks had just one win by more than 14 points in the past two seasons. It was Seattle's largest victory since a 58-0 win over Arizona in 2012.

''We took on the challenge, kept our heads down to just stay focused on what we need to do and our execution,'' Wilson said. ''It was a great day today.''

Even with another great performance by Wilson, he wasn't awarded a game ball afterward. That went to Jamal Adams, who set an NFL record for most sacks in a single-season by a defensive back, setting the mark against his former team.

Adams spent a significant amount of time postgame in a receiving line of hugs and handshakes with his former Jets teammates and coaches, including coach Adam Gase.

''Seeing so many guys, it just brings back a lot of memories because I do miss those guys,'' Adams said. ''This is bigger than football. It goes back to just relationships.''

For the Jets, it was another miserable day in their forgettable season.

Days after firing defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after the collapse at the end of last week's loss to Las Vegas, the Jets (0-13) showed little resistance on defense and little excitement on offense as they lost their franchise-record 13th straight.

''This one got away from us very quickly and when you have chances against a team like this, you've got to take advantage of them or this is what the outcome's going to be,'' Gase said.

And even when the Jets had chances to score, Sergio Castillo struggled. After kicking a 45-yarder on New York's opening drive, Castillo missed attempts of 37, 41 and 43 yards in the first half.

New York did extend its streak of scoring on its opening drive to seven straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL and longest in franchise history. That was about the only bright spot.

The Jets became the ninth team since the merger to start a season with 13 straight losses. Three of those went on to have winless seasons.

Sam Darnold was 14 of 26 for 132 yards.

''Losing's not fun. We've just got to be better,'' Darnold said.

RECORD SETTER

Adams was credited with a sack after forcing Darnold to run out of bounds for a loss in the second quarter, giving the Seahawks safety the record for most sacks by a defensive back in a single season.

Adams didn't do much other than run the scrambling Darnold to the sideline. But it was a 1-yard loss and Adams was credited with the sack, giving him 8 1/2 for the season. Adams said he didn't realize that play set the record.

The previous record for sacks by a defensive back was held by Adrian Wilson, who had eight in 2005. Sacks became an official stat in 1982.

''I'm trying to shatter it, to be real with you,'' Adams said. ''This is just a start.''

INJURIES

Jets: Safety Saquan Hampton left with an ankle injury and didn't return.

Seahawks: lost starting right tackle Brandon Shell after he aggravated an ankle injury in the first half. Shell had missed the previous two games dealing with the injury suffered against Arizona.

UP NEXT

Jets: New York is back on the West Coast at the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Erase that 0!: Jets edge Rams 23-20, avoid winless season

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) Sam Darnold and the New York Jets could have been forgiven for forgetting the victory formation, yet everybody knew where to stand when they got the chance at SoFi Stadium.

After 51 weeks and 13 games without a win, the Jets finally earned the chance to celebrate with pride.

''It's the greatest feeling in sports to be able to ice the game out and know we had it,'' Darnold said. ''It's the best.''

The Jets (1-13) knew their 23-20 victory over the embarrassed Los Angeles Rams on Sunday was never pretty. Everybody realized it also came with a major drawback: New York is no longer in position for the top pick in the NFL draft.

Don't try telling that to the joyful Jets who surged onto the field after the final whistle with the knowledge their names will not be attached to the ignominy of the third 0-16 season in NFL history.

Darnold passed for 207 yards in a steady performance, while Frank Gore rushed for a score that was his 100th career touchdown in the Jets' first win since the 2019 season finale. Gore also made a decisive third-down reception with 2:12 left for the Jets, who ended the longest losing streak in franchise history with a strong start and a gritty finish.

''I'm just happy for our guys,'' coach Adam Gase said. ''They've done such a great job of how they've worked. They've been through a lot of adversity. It's been too long for us to even remember what a win feels like, almost. It's great to see those guys that excited.''

Gase's club got its first win of the year only after blowing most of a 17-point lead in the second half. After a potential go-ahead touchdown for the Rams was wiped out by a penalty, forcing LA to kick a field goal, the Jets' defense stopped the Rams again on downs near midfield with 3:54 to play.

Moments later, Darnold hit Gore with the short pass over the middle that allowed the Jets to run out the clock. It was only a 6-yard gain for Gore, who awkwardly backpedaled with the ball into first down territory It still meant a great deal to the young quarterback and his veteran running back.

''We knew we couldn't give it back to them, and for us to be able to execute when we really needed to, that was something that obviously we haven't done all year,'' Darnold said. ''To be able to execute and see it kind of come all into fruition, I think that was the biggest thing for us. It was an amazing feeling.''

With two games left, New York might have ruined its chances at the No. 1 overall pick because Jacksonville (1-13) is likely to win a tiebreaker based on strength of schedule. But possibly missing the chance to draft Clemson star Trevor Lawrence meant nothing to the players and coaches responsible for this lost season.

It certainly didn't bother Darnold, who looked right at home in his first pro game in his native Southern California. The former USC Trojans star went 22 of 31 with a touchdown pass and no interceptions.

''It doesn't affect us,'' Darnold said. ''We're focused on one job every single week, and that's winning a game. Anything other than that, we're not focused on.''

New York had a 13-3 lead at halftime after holding the Rams to 97 yards, and the Jets led 20-3 midway through the third quarter. Los Angeles chipped the deficit down to three points with TD catches by Robert Woods and Tyler Higbee, but the Rams (9-5) couldn't finish.

Sam Ficken kicked three field goals for the Jets, whose 32nd-ranked offense put up only 289 yards against the NFL's No. 1 defense - but scored enough points to win.

Of the nine teams in NFL history to start 0-13, the Jets were the fourth to win in Week 15.

The Rams could have clinched a playoff berth with a win. Instead, they were left with the most humiliating loss of coach Sean McVay's largely successful four seasons in charge.

''In all three phases, it wasn't good enough,'' McVay said. ''This loss will demoralize us only as much as we allow it to. It's going to be embarrassing. Sick to your stomach about it, but we do have two games left. ... It's very humbling, but we're going to move forward. That's all I know how to do.''

Jared Goff passed for 209 yards for the Rams, who had won four of five to surge to the top of the NFC West. Their offense was inept while their elite defense wasn't sharp, allowing the Jets to convert seven third downs.

The Rams still can win the division if they can beat the Seahawks in Seattle next week, but their task got exponentially harder.

''We have a game coming up next week that we were going to have to win anyways, and I think we know that,'' Goff said. ''Obviously we're disappointed with how today went, and embarrassed.''

The Jets started out just as impressively as they usually do, marching for a score on their eighth consecutive opening possession with an 18-yard catch-and-run by Ty Johnson. New York tacked on two field goals after a blocked punt and an interception by Bryce Hall.

New York opened the second half with a clock-consuming drive capped by a TD push on fourth down from the 1 by Gore, who scored the 16th TD of his career against the Rams.

Los Angeles' offense finally awoke with a pair of 75-yard TD drives, and was in position for more - but Cam Akers' 18-yard rush for a TD with 7:35 to play was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Jets safety Marcus Maye made a beautiful deflection of a throw intended for Gerald Everett on fourth down when McVay called a long pass play instead of trying a 55-yard tying field goal, which seems within the capabilities of kicker Matt Gay.

INJURIES

Jets: DL Quinnen Williams left in the second half to be evaluated for a head injury. Gase said Williams has a concussion. ... WR Jeff Smith injured his shoulder in the second half.

Rams: Akers injured his ankle in the first half, but returned. ... Everett was evaluated for a concussion late in the first half, but returned.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Posted by kermit on 12/20/2020 7:19:00 PM (view original):
JETS WIN!!!! TREVOR LAWRENCE REJOICES!!!!

It was the kind of performance, fresh off last week's upset over the Rams, that has Jets fans wondering where this team has been all season long.

For the second week in a row, after starting the season with a franchise-worst 13-game losing streak, New York has taken down a team that's poised to play deep into to the postseason.

The Jets secured their first win at MetLife Stadium this year, holding off a late comeback from the Cleveland Browns in a 23-16 victory.

At one point in the second half of this game, New York had a 17-point lead. That's a one-win team storming ahead by three scores with 20 unanswered points against a club with double-digit victories contending for a division title.

That said, that lead dwindled down to just four after the Browns surged back in the second half. New York was able to hold on by making two monumental stops in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Cleveland got the ball back with just over four minutes to go and all the momentum. Instead of marching down the field to put themselves in a position to take the lead, however, defensive end Tarell Basham forced a fumble on Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield to get the ball back deep in Browns territory.

Then, on a fourth-and-inches in the red zone, Basham forced Mayfield to fumble again as the quarterback tried to sneak forward for the first down. Although the Browns recovered the fumble beyond the yard to gain, by rule the ball was placed back at the spot of the fumble. Therefore, Cleveland turned the ball over on downs and the Jets took over in victory formation.

With the win, the Jets are now 2-13 on the year. While two wins in a row is a tremendous way to wrap up the season, New York clinches the No. 2 pick in next spring's NFL draft with the victory (and the Jaguars' loss to the Bears).

Should quarterback and presumptive top prospect Trevor Lawrence declare for the draft after his season at Clemson, Jacksonville will have a shot to take him with the first overall selection.

New York started slow, punting on its first two drives. Just when it seemed like the Jets had returned to their offensive struggles that have lingered all season long, head coach Adam Gase pulled out some trickeration.

With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, wide receiver Jamison Crowder lobbed a touchdown pass to fellow wideout Braxton Berrios deep down the right sideline. Crowder got the ball in the backfield on a reverse before launching the football down the field for his first career completion.

Don't worry, Jets quarterback Sam Darnold would get involved too. Building off his impressive showing last Sunday in Los Angeles, Darnold threw for two touchdowns of his own—one to Crowder and another to tight end Chris Herndon.

Darnold finished with 175 passing yards in the victory, avoiding an interception for the third game in a row.

Although Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had 300-plus yards through the air—impressive considering Cleveland was missing several key contributors due to COVID-19—New York's defense did a tremendous job containing the Browns' offense.

Cleveland entered play on Sunday with the third-best rushing attack in the NFL. Against the Jets' defense—a unit plagued with injuries—they managed only 45 yards on Sunday. In fact, through halftime, the Browns had only four rushing yards.

Plus, a unit without star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, along with a handful of other key contributors, was able to sack Mayfield four times. Again, Basham was the star with two key forced fumbles late in the fourth quarter. He led the Jets with three hits on Mayfield.

Newton accounts for 4 TDs, Patriots roll 28-14 over Jets

OXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Cam Newton saved his best performance this season for what was likely his final game with the New England Patriots.

Newton threw three touchdown passes and caught another, and the Patriots rallied to beat the Jets 28-14 on Sunday in Adam Gase's final game as New York's coach.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for New England (7-9), which earned its 10th straight win over the Jets (2-14) but won't be playing in the postseason for the first time since the 2008 season.

Coach Bill Belichick said after a disappointing stretch he was proud of the way his team bounced back.

''It was good to end a disappointing season on a positive note,'' he said.

While it won't erase the disappointment of New England missing the playoffs, it was a nice finish for Newton, who entered the season with the weighty task of succeeding Tom Brady following his departure to Tampa Bay.

New England trailed 14-7 early in the third quarter, but outscored the Jets 21-0 the rest of the way. New York announced a few hours after the game it had fired Gase.

''While my sincere intentions are to have stability in our organization - especially in our leadership positions - it is clear the best decision for the Jets is to move in a different direction,'' Jets chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement issued by the team.

Newton was 21 of 30 for 242 yards, his first game with multiple passing touchdowns this season. He also ran 11 times for 79 yards. Newton played under a one-year deal this season. He said he hasn't contemplated where he goes from here.

''I have my desires,'' he said. ''I know where my heart's at. I know the things of who I am. But as far as that, I can't really speak on that right now. But just my whole time in New England has just been a blessing. Just see how it goes and go from there.''

Belichick said he wasn't prepared to address Newton's future.

''I don't really have anything to say about next year,'' Belichick said.

Sam Darnold, whose future with the Jets is also uncertain, was 23 of 34 for 266 yards, a touchdown and two second-half interceptions. He said he wasn't thinking about his future beyond Sunday.

''I'm not going to do that right now,'' Darnold said. ''Whether I stay, whether I leave - whatever happens, I'll deal with it when it comes.''

The Jets moved quickly on the first possession of the third quarter, taking their lead on Josh Adams' 1-yard TD run. The score was set up by a 53-yard completion from Darnold to Breshad Perriman that got the ball inside the Patriots 15.

New England went to its bag of tricks to tie it back up.

With the ball on the Jets 19, Newton handed the ball off to Sony Michel, who flipped the ball back to receiver Jakobi Meyers on an end-around. But Meyers stopped in the backfield and tossed a pass to a wide-open Newton for the touchdown. It marked the second touchdown pass of the season for Meyers.

Darnold was intercepted by J.C. Jackson on the Jets' ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the Patriots on the Jets 45.

The Patriots took advantage, scoring four plays later on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Newton to tight end Devin Asiasi to make it 21-14 with 13:56 left in the game.

Two series later, Newton connected with Michel for a 31-yard score.

It was 7-7 at halftime as both offenses had trouble sustaining drives. The exceptions came at the beginning and end of the half.

Newton made plays with both his arm and feet on the opening series of the game to put the Patriots in front.

First, he scampered for a 49-yard run to get New England down to the 15. Four plays later, he connected with James White on a 7-yard touchdown pass to cap a seven-play, 84-yard drive.

The Jets had their most success on their second to last possession of the first half when Darnold punctuated their 10-play, 80-yard drive by threading a pass between a pair of defenders in the end zone to Chris Herndon for a 21-yard touchdown.

INJURIES

Jets: WR Denzel Mims was evaluated for a concussion in the second quarter and didn't return. . LT Mekhi Becton limped off the field with what Gase said was a high ankle sprain early in the third quarter. . RT George Fant left in the third quarter with a hand injury, but returned. . Jeff Smith left with a shoulder injury.

Patriots: S Adrian Phillips left in the first quarter with a hip injury and didn't return. . WR Damiere Byrd was helped off the field in the third quarter with a head injury. . Butler exited with a thigh injury. . LT Justin Herron left with an ankle injury.

RECORD ROMP

Newton's 49-yard run on the Patriots' opening drive was the longest by a quarterback in franchise history. Steve Grogan held the previous record, twice posting 41-yard runs.

With the run, Newton also passed Grogan for the single-season team record for yards rushing by a quarterback. Newton entered 26 yards behind Grogan, who had 539 yards rushing in 1978.

UP NEXT

Jets: End of season. New York's 2-14 finish is the second-worst mark in franchise history. Now, they'll begin looking for a new coach.

Jets hire Robert Saleh: 49ers defensive coordinator announced as New York's new head coach

Saleh has been the 49ers defensive coordinator for the past four seasons

Posted by bronxcheer on 1/15/2021 3:58:00 AM (view original):

Jets hire Robert Saleh: 49ers defensive coordinator announced as New York's new head coach

Saleh has been the 49ers defensive coordinator for the past four seasons