The Jets landed in Seattle with their playoff lives on the line. To stay alive, they had to beat the Seahawks, who had old friend Geno Smith under center.
You know the story by now. Smith and Co. beat New York 23-6, sending Gang Green to its fifth straight loss. This also officially eliminated head coach Robert Saleh’s squad from the playoffs. So, the NFL’s longest playoff drought extends another year. The Jets haven’t participated in postseason activities since the 2010 campaign.
If you’re thinking the whole Geno-Smith-gets-a-revenge-game-victory thing sounds familiar, it’s because this has happened before. Seattle hosted the Giants in Week 8 and snapped their four-game winning streak by beating them 27-13. Smith paid homage to Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese after that matchup, too.
Even without admitting it, though, you’d have to think this Week 17 matchup was the most significant. After all, he spent just one year with the Giants. The Jets were the team that drafted him 39th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft before spending parts of four seasons with the organization.
A good ol’ fashioned revenge game is good for any narrative. That’s especially the case when major playoff implications are involved. Smith rose to the occasion by completing 18-of-29 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. His season-long totals now include 4,069 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
And while the Jets are just finishing out their regular-season schedule next weekend, Seattle still has something on the line as the playoffs remain a possibility.
Smith’s Week 17 victory may have been the sweetest revenge-game success he’s experienced this year. He’s got plenty to choose from after completing the hat trick. Before signing with the Seahawks in 2019, Smith played for the Jets, Giants, and Los Angeles Chargers. Seattle has now beaten all three in 2022.
It may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but there’s no doubt it doesn’t feel good after the journey Smith has been on since entering the league.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
