Rise and shine, Seattle Seahawks fans! It’s the final kickoff of the season at 10 a.m. PT for Seattle, but it’s taking place in the familiar confines of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. As expected, the New York Jets were a real eye-catcher and will mathematically be eliminated from the playoffs in the next few weeks. Still, this is the Seahawks, and regardless of quality, any game can be within the opponent’s reach.

Before we dive into this week’s predictions, let’s take another look at last week’s predictions for the Arizona Cardinals game.

---

Bold prediction: Seahawks Finally score a first drive touchdown

The waiting continues. Another punt.

Seahawks offensive prediction: DK Metcalf gets at least 60 receiving yards and a touchdown

No touchdown and he missed the 60-yard mark by one yard.

Seahawks Defense Prediction: Devon Witherspoon will either get a sack, an interception or both

He didn’t record a sack or an interception, but played a big role in Coby Bryant’s pick-six.

Opponent Prediction: Trey McBride scores his first touchdown of the season

Over 100 receiving yards and 10 catches for Trey McBride. No touchdown. The wait for him continues.

Game Prediction: Seahawks end home loss and restore NFC West lead

I got that right, so I’ll take that! The score prediction of 27-24 was far too high.

Well, I didn’t get anything right except the most important prediction. Okay, that’s enough of that. On to this week!

---

Bold Prediction: Geno Smith’s interception streak ends

It has to stop at some point, right? Smith has thrown an interception in four straight games and in five of his last six games. The New York Jets have only intercepted two passes all season, so saying Geno won’t be selected may be overstating the definition of “brave,” but Smith’s last few interceptions have been just bad and indefensible.

I want him to play it safe with the ball and not force anything that isn’t there. That doesn’t mean he won’t suffer his first losing fumble of the season or that another Seahawks player won’t pack it, but I feel like Geno has a lot to prove to his old team, whether he openly admits it or not .

Seahawks offensive prediction: Kenneth Walker III breaks up a run longer than 20 yards

Do you realize how bad the Seahawks running game was? Walker hasn’t had a rush of more than 20 yards since Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. Seattle’s rushing offense has plummeted to 32nd in the EPA/Play rankings since this game, and ranking lower is not possible.

This year’s Jets defense has taken steps backwards, especially against the run. They rank 21st in rushing yards allowed, 29th in rushing TDs allowed, 25th in DVOA and 18th in EPA/Play. There will be opportunities for explosive runs all season long against a defense that is vulnerable to them. If ever there was a time for Seattle’s running game to get on track, it’s now. I’m sure Seattle’s defense can handle Breece Hall. I’m less certain that Kenneth Walker can do serious damage to the Jets without the O-line showing even a semblance of competence.

Seahawks Defense Prediction: Riq Woolen gets Aaron Rodgers

Hey, remember the Riq Woolen vs. Sauce Gardner debate in 2022? That was annoying. Riq took a bit of a step backwards in 2023, but it seems like Gardner will hit his doldrums in 2024. Who’s the one having the duel problems again?

Anyway, Woolen has been great this season except for a few reps here and there. He’ll have a tough challenge against Garrett Wilson, who’s an excellent receiver, but that also means Rodgers will target him a lot. I think Riq gets his third INT of the season and his first away since picking Matthew Stafford in their second loss to the Los Angeles Rams last year.

Foe Prediction: Quinnen Williams celebrates and records multiple sacks

In case you haven’t heard, Sataoa Laumea is the Seahawks’ new starting right guard while Anthony Bradford is out. Christian Haynes thought he was next man up, but that’s not happening. Regardless of who starts, the interior defenders on this offensive line are in for a tough afternoon against one of the best defensive players in the game.

Quinnen Williams has six sacks this year, trailing only Will MacDonald IV. The Jets lead the NFL in sack rate at 9.9%, and the Seahawks’ offensive line has allowed the 11th-highest sack rate at 8.4%. While Geno Smith bears some blame for holding on to the ball too long on some sacks, the majority of his sacks were clearly immediate pressure (of which he is one of the quickest-to-pressure QBs in the NFL).

Laken Tomlinson struggled with LJ Collier last week. Olu Oluwatimi played well for two games but Quinnen is a different beast. Laumea may have been a masterpiece in practice, but there’s no getting around zero NFL snaps so far. Williams is a disruptive force and that’s bad news for Geno and this offense. I expect multiple sacks from the big guy.

Match Prediction: Geno Smith leads in last-minute ugly comeback win

The Jets aren’t a good team, but they don’t lack talent. Five of their eight losses have been one-possession games, so they may be better than their record suggests.

I’m pretty confident that the Seahawks won’t have too much trouble with the Jets’ offense. It’s not a complicated plan and Seattle’s defense seems tailor-made to limit Rodgers and Co. in general. Meanwhile, there’s nothing to suggest that the Seahawks’ offense can outscore any team, meaning the points will be few and far between and probably won’t be particularly fun to watch.

Nothing would be more Jets-like than Mark Sanchez in the FOX booth, ecstatic about Geno Smith’s game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes. So let’s get on with it. Seattle will be down 14-13 with less than two minutes left, but Geno saves the day again with a touchdown pass to give the Seahawks the lead for good. They will miss the two-point conversion but will hold the fort on defense. With a 19:14 win for the Seahawks, they remain undefeated at MetLife Stadium.