Seahawks' Geno Smith Victorious In Return To New York

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith defeated his former team once again.

Jon Alfano | 13 Hours Ago

Dec 1, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

In a situation many players would make personal, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith kept his head down and went about his business.

On Sunday, Smith traveled to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets — the team that drafted him back in 2013 — for the first time as a visiting starter. He downplayed the emotional aspect of this matchup throughout the week, and it seemed to pay off for him.

Smith completed 20 of 31 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown to help the Seahawks win a 26-21 thriller for their third straight victory.

After the game, Smith once again kept it cool despite the hard-fought win.

"Just because it’s the next game. Not going to make it about myself," Smith said. "Like I said, I really did enjoy my time in New York and I think our team, we're on a mission right now, you know, just for the next opponent. No matter where we play, who it is, no matter what happened in the past, you’ve got to eliminate the emotions and go out there and play the game and do the right thing. So, it was just the next opponent and I’m glad we got it done."

Obviously, Smith didn't light the world on fire Sunday, but he did play a clean, mistake-free game. In what was a sloppy game for both teams, Smith's play provided some sense of stability for Seattle.

"We won the game, he took care of the ball for the most part," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "He made some critical fourth down extended plays that not a lot of people on this planet can make and then, thought he managed the game well. We didn't have to run any timeouts. I mean, those are the types of games, that's the way he has to play for us to win. And he did that."

With the win and a loss by the Arizona Cardinals, who the Seahawks travel to face next week, Seattle is now in sole possession of first place in the highly-competitive NFC West. Heading into the final stretch of the season, the Seahawks have a golden opportunity in front of them.

"It's what you want. You want to be playing meaningful games in December," Smith said. "Coach talked to us. He said they remember what you do in December, so as a team, as a quarterback, I want to play my best football late down the stretch. I think we're growing as an offense. I thought, our offensive line played a tremendous game today. I thought just the guys in general, all went out there and they fought, like I said. We played together, complimentary football, even with the mistakes that we made.

"As long as we continue to play together, we're a feisty bunch. We got a chance to win all of our games."