5 Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Duel with Jets in Week 14

Coming off a devastating home loss to the Giants last weekend, the Seahawks should have several optimum matchups on both sides of the football as they look to get back on track against a winless Jets squad at Lumen Field.

Looking to rebound from a disappointing defeat to the Giants and stay in the NFC West title hunt, the Seahawks will host the winless Jets seeking a home split against the NFL's New York franchises.

Dropping to 8-4 on the season, Seattle scored just 10 points on offense in Week 13, with their lone touchdown coming 54 minutes into the game when Russell Wilson found Chris Carson for a 28-yard score to trim the deficit to five points. Meanwhile, the New York Jets found yet another way to choke away their first win, surrendering a late touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Henry Ruggs in a three-point loss to the Las Vegas Raiders to fall to 0-12.

With both teams coming off losses, here are five key matchups to watch as the Seahawks duel with the Jets at Lumen Field.

--Seahawks guards Damien Lewis, Jordan Simmons, and Mike Iupati versus Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams: New York doesn't have much talent or depth along the defensive line these days, but after the team opted not to trade Williams prior to the deadline, the former top five pick out of Alabama has become the game changer the franchise envisioned. Starting with an eight-point defeat to the Bills, he has produced 21 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 11 quarterback hits over the past five games. The 6-foot-3, 303-pound defender has been outstanding against the ground game as of late and easily leads the Jets with 6.0 sacks on the season, making him a major challenge for all of the Seahawks guards to block. This could be a game where Seattle opts to give Williams the "Aaron Donald treatment," throwing an extra blocker at him frequently to try to limit a winless team's lone dominant player on defense and prevent him from wrecking the team's offensive game plan.

--Seahawks defensive ends Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa, and Alton Robinson versus Jets tackles Mekhi Becton and George Fant: Much like last week, there's some uncertainty on whether or not Dunlap will play due to a sore foot. But if he does, he should have an ideal matchup off the edge working against Fant, a former Seahawk who signed a three-year deal with the Jets back in March. The veteran tackle has been decent in pass protection this year, allowing six quarterback hits and a pair of sacks on 579 offensive snaps per Pro Football Focus. However, those numbers may be a bit misleading, as he's also been credited with giving up 25 pressures and has a mediocre 62.9 pass blocking grade. As displayed during his time in Seattle, Fant can be beaten with power, a strength for Dunlap working off the edge. On the opposite side, Becton has had a strong rookie season, but the first-round pick did give up two sacks last week against the Raiders and the duo of Mayowa/Robinson could have the athleticism as upfield rushers to give him a few problems.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett versus Jets cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Lamar Jackson: Due to injuries and poor performance from veterans, New York has undergone tremendous change in the secondary as the season has progressed, including throwing Hall and Jackson into the starting lineup as rookies. Hall, a fourth-round pick out of Virginia, has allowed a 108.3 passer rating and a touchdown in four starts, while Jackson, an undrafted signee out of Nebraska, has surrendered five touchdowns and a brutal 147.2 passer rating in six games. After struggling to get their vertical passing game going against the Giants last week, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks should have little issue getting their star receivers involved downfield early with enticing matchups against struggling rookie cornerbacks, especially considering the Jets will be down to their third string strong safety in Elijah Campbell, will be playing their first game under a new coordinator, and rank third in the NFL allowing eight 40-plus yard pass plays on the season.

--Seahawks safety Jamal Adams versus Jets tight end Chris Herndon: From a statistical standpoint, Herndon has been a relative non-factor most of this season, catching just 16 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown while dropping four passes on 27 targets. He hasn't even been targeted over the past two weeks despite playing 86 offensive snaps for the Jets. But the former Miami standout may get more opportunities in the passing game this week with his team hurting at receiver, as Denzel Mims won't play due to a family emergency and Jamison Crowder is questionable to suit up with a calf injury. While Adams could certainly have been listed with pass rushers as he aims to break the single-season sack record for safeties against his former team, given Sam Darnold's propensity for taking chances and his lack of weapons, this game may also present an opportunity for him to get his first interception as a Seahawk working against Herndon in coverage.

--Seahawks running backs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde versus Jets linebackers Bryce Hager, Neville Hewitt, and Noah Dawkins: Before the season even started, the Jets were hurting at linebacker after star C.J. Mosley opted out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, they've lost Blake Cashman and Patrick Onwuasor to injured reserve and Jordan Jenkins has been ruled out for Sunday with a shoulder injury, leaving the team even further depleted at the position. Assuming Seattle can find ways to get linemen to the second level working against undersized reserve linebackers, Carson and Hyde should be able to find success against a defense that, despite ranking fourth in the NFL allowing just 3.8 yards per carry, has also allowed 13 rushing touchdowns and three runs of 40-plus yards. Both backs, as well as rookie DeeJay Dallas, could also have ideal matchups as receivers out of the backfield with Hager, Hewitt, and Dawkins in coverage against them.