NFL News & Analysis

SEA-NYJ grades: Wilson-Graham connection leads Seahawks past Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 02: Jimmy Graham #88 of the Seattle Seahawks makes a catch against Darron Lee #50 of the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium on October 2, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Seattle Seahawks 27, New York Jets 17

Here are the biggest takeaways and highest-graded players from the Seahawks' 27-17 Week 4 road victory over the Jets.

Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback grade: Russell Wilson, 87.4

Wilson perfect on deep passes versus Jets

Russell Wilson played well at MetLife Stadium, as he dropped back to pass 35 times and completed 23 of 32 passes with no drops (two throwaways). He faced pressure on 14 dropbacks, and completed five of 11 passes while under pressure. Wilson was great at stretching the ball downfield, as he completed all four of his pass attempts of 20+ yards or more.

Russell Wilson under pressure

Top offensive grades:  

TE Jimmy Graham, 97.2

QB Russell Wilson, 87.4

C Justin Britt, 87.2

G Mark Glowinski, 74.5

WR Doug Baldwin, 73.6

Jimmy Graham, Russell Wilson put on a show in New York

Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham exhibited a clinic of the back-shoulder throw-and-catch, torching the Jets' linebackers and safeties charged with defending it. The duo connected five times for 93 yards. Justin Britt was solid inside for the Seahawks, creating creases for the running game and yielding no sacks, hits, or hurries.

Top defensive grades:

CB DeShawn Shead, 86.6 

LB Bobby Wagner, 86.5 

S Kam Chancellor, 82.5

LB K.J. Wright, 81.9

S Earl Thomas, 81.8

Seahawks’ back-seven defenders frustrate Jets’ offense

The linebackers and secondary players for the Seahawks had strong performances against the Jets. Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner was making plays all over the place, and had one sack and one hit on five pass-rushes, and added five defensive stops.

Seahawks CB Richard Sherman had a back-and-forth day with Brandon Marshall. Sherman gave up four catches on 11 targets and a TD to Marshall, but he also added two interceptions. DeShawn Shead had a strong coverage performance, as he was thrown at four times but only allowed one catch for 7 yards; Ryan Fitzpatrick’s QB rating when throwing into Shead’s coverage was only 39.6.

New York Jets

Quarterback grade: Ryan Fitzpatrick, 49.5

Fitzpatrick suffers yet another multiple-interception game

Ryan Fitzpatrick had another rough outing this week against the Seahawks' defense, and didn’t hold up well to pressure; his QB rating on the 15 dropbacks he was pressured was 19.5. Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions, and while they weren’t all his fault, he also got away with a terrible throw that could have been a pick-six for a breaking Earl Thomas, who just wasn’t able to hold onto the ball. Fitzpatrick didn’t connect on any of his four deep-pass attempts (targeted beyond 20 yards).

Top offensive grades:

WR Brandon Marshall, 77.7

OT Ben Ijalana, 77.1

C Nick Mangold, 73.2

WR Quincy Enunwa, 71.0

OT Brent Qvale, 70.3 

Brandon Marshall versus Richard Sherman was worth the price of admission

Brandon Marshall and Richard Sherman battled back and forth all game long, with both complaining to referees about the physical play of the other. Marshall was covered by Sherman exclusively, and caught four of 11 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks' top cornerback.

The Jets' offensive line did a poor job of opening holes for their running backs against the Seahawks' defense. The offense as a whole only generated 61 rushing yards, and 27 of Matt Forte’s 30 rushing yards came after contact. Forte only had 30 yards rushing on 15 attempts, and failed to make one tackler miss.

Top defensive grades:

DE Muhammad Wilkerson, 79.8

DT Sheldon Richardson, 78.6

LB David Harris, 77.7

DT Leonard Williams, 77.6

DB Darrelle Revis, 75.7 

Jets lose in the air

The Jets' defensive secondary could not defend against the downfield throws of Russell Wilson. Linebacker Darron Lee and DB Calvin Pryor were targets for Wilson throughout the game, and the Seattle connection of Wilson-to-Graham was too much for the New York defense to overcome. DB Calvin Pryor was targeted six times on 25 snaps, and yielded five completions for 94 yards. Lee was targeted four times, yielding two receptions for 51 yards, both of which were Wilson-to-Graham hookups. The Jets' defensive line was able to apply pressure to Wilson, as Muhammad Wilkerson caused havoc for the Seahawks, with a QB hit and three hurries to go along with a batted pass. Sheldon Richardson also got after Wilson, with four QB hurries and a hit.

PFF Game-Ball Winner: Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham

PFF’s player grading process includes multiple reviews, which may change the grade initially published in order to increase its accuracy. Learn more about how we grade and access grades for every player through each week of the NFL season by subscribing to Player Grades.

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