Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes as the Seattle Seahawks remained in the NFL playoff race with a 23-6 victory against the visiting New York Jets on Sunday.
Rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for 133 yards on 23 carries for the Seahawks (8-8), who are tied with Detroit and Green Bay for the NFC’s final wild-card berth entering the final week of the regular season. The Packers will play host to the Lions next weekend, with the Seahawks hosting the Los Angeles Rams.
The Jets (7-9) suffered their fifth consecutive defeat and were eliminated from the AFC race.
Jets quarterback Mike White, who missed the previous two games with broken ribs, was 23-of-46 passing for 240 yards with three turnovers — two interceptions and a lost fumble.
The Jets’ points came on a pair of 44-yard field goals by Greg Zuerlein.
Smith, who was a second-round draft pick by the Jets in 2013, completed 18 of 29 passes for 183 yards. Smith went 3-0 against his former teams this season, also beating the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Seahawks, who snapped a three-game skid, scored on their first three possessions to grab a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Seattle took the opening kickoff and needed just three plays to go 73 yards for a touchdown. Walker went over right guard for a 60-yard run on the first play from scrimmage and, two plays later, Smith hit tight end Colby Parkinson in the back right corner of the end zone for a 12-yard TD.
The Seahawks got the ball back on an interception by Quandre Diggs and drove into the red zone before Jason Myers kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
After Zuerlein’s first field goal, Seattle drove 75 yards for another touchdown, with third-string tight end Tyler Mabry making his first career catch on a 7-yard scoring strike from Smith.
Zuerlein added his second field goal with eight minutes left in the half to make it 17-6.
Myers kicked a pair of 31-yarders in the second half to cap the scoring.
–Field Level Media