Dec 1, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) celebrates his interception return for a touchdown during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 26-21 Win vs. Jets

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Corbin Smith | Last updated Dec 3, 2024 6:54 PM ET

Continuing to stack wins as they push for an NFC West title, the Seattle Seahawks rebounded from a dreadful start on the road to beat the New York Jets 26-21 at MetLife Stadium.

With their defense leading the charge once again, who stood out in Seattle's third straight victory? After reviewing All-22 film from Sunday's comeback win in East Rutherford, here are my top five grades and other notable performances from Week 13.

Leonard Williams

Overall Grade: 92.0 (Run Defense 86, Tackling 92, Pass Rush 94, Coverage 98)

In the words of coach Mike Macdonald, Williams indeed has been "playing out of his mind" over the past two games, easily playing the best football of his career in all phases. Though he missed out on a sack due to a face mask penalty on New York's second drive, he amended for that mistake by blocking an extra point moments later. Then in the second quarter, with the Jets poised to add to their 14-point lead inside the Seahawks 10-yard line, "Big Cat" dropped back smoothly into coverage like an oversized linebacker and picked off Aaron Rodgers, hauling tail after the catch for a remarkable 92-yard touchdown to swing momentum back to the visiting sideline.

Already accounting for a 15-point swing on his own accord in the first half, Williams continued to be a game wrecker as Seattle shut down New York drive after drive. With the Jets trying to mount a late rally following a touchdown by Zach Charbonnet, he found his way to Rodgers not once, but twice, posting his second consecutive multi-sack effort. Tallying five pressures and adding a tackle for loss on Braelon Allen for good measure, he should be a slam dunk for Defensive Player of the Week honors with a historic performance that hasn't been matched since at least 1980.

Julian Love

Overall Grade: 87.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 92, Coverage 84)

Continuing to play lights out as a do-it-all safety in Macdonald's defense, Love left nearly as big of an imprint on Seattle's success stifling New York as Williams did. In the first quarter, teaming up with cornerback Riq Woolen, he helped knock the ball out of Breece Hall's hands for a fumble, but the defense couldn't recover. Fortunately, he made up for that missed opportunity in the third quarter when his left shoulder punched the ball out again, allowing Tyrice Knight to recover near midfield and set up a Jason Myers field goal that trimmed the deficit to two points.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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