Mater Dei Catholic High School alumnus Jason Myers could be headed to the NFL playoffs for the second consecutive year with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks are currently involved in a shootout in the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams and Seahawks both enter Week 15 of the league’s 17-week schedule with 9-4 records, though the Rams hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win earlier this season between the teams. The Cardinals, who have split their season series with Seattle, are 7-6.
The San Francisco 49ers, last season’s Super Bowl runner-up, are 5-8 in the division but remain mathematically alive for a playoff berth, though they have been eliminated from winning the division title.
Myers kicked field goals of 29 and 41 yards while tacking on four of five extra-point conversions in Sunday’s 40-3 non-conference victory against the visiting New York Jets (0-13). The former Crusader football and soccer standout now is riding a streak of 29 consecutive field goals made.
On the season, Myers is 18 for 18 (100 percent) on field goal attempts and 43 of 46 (93.5 percent) on extra-point conversions.
In 83 career NFL games, he has logged 138 field goals and 189 successful extra-point conversions. He is having his best statistical season to date.
The Seahawks have given him plenty of opportunity to tee the ball up during his two years with the Pacific Northwest team.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes against the Jets to raise his season mark to 36 to break the franchise record of 35 he set in 2018.
Wilson completed TD passes to D.K. Metcalf, Freddie Swain, Will Dissly and David Moore.
According to statistics compiled by the Seahawks, Wilson is the only quarterback in NFL history to post a winning record in each of his first nine seasons.
The Seattle defense sacked Jets signal-caller Sam Darnold three times and forced one fumble.
The Seahawks were unable to get past the league’s other New York team, the Giants, after suffering a stunning 17-12 home field loss on Dec. 6 that left Seattle head coach Pete Carroll in a state of disbelief.
Myers kicked a 31-yard field goal and split the uprights on a point-after touchdown conversion to finish the game against the visiting New York Giants with four kicking points.
The Seahawks soared out of the NFL gate with a meteoric 5-0 start but suffered a tailspin by dropping three of their next four contests to fall to 6-3 on the season.
The team has gone 3-1 since then, including Sunday’s win over the Jets, to remain in contention for the division title.
Myers kicked field goals of 44, 39 and 33 yards while tacking on a pair of point-after-touchdown conversions to finish as the top scorer with 11 points in the Seahawks’ 23-17 NFL win over the host Philadelphia Eagles on ESPN’s national Monday Night Football telecast on Nov. 30.
He kicked field goals of 27 and 41 yards while adding an extra-point conversion in Seattle’s 28-21 win over the Cardinals on Nov. 19.
He recorded a career long 61-yard field goal in a 23-16 loss to the Rams on Nov. 15. It stands as the longest field goal made in franchise history.
He had two field goals (44 and 45 yards) and four extra-point conversions in a 44-34 loss at the AFC East leading Buffalo Bills on Nov. 8. He finished as the team’s top scorer with 10 kicking points in the match-up of divisional leaders.
He kicked a 48-yard field goal and tacked on five PAT conversions in a 37-27 win over the visiting 49ers on Nov. 1.
Myers and his teammates travel to the East Coast to take on the streaking Washington Football Team and fellow South County alum Alex Smith on Sunday. Washington improved to 6-7 on the strength of four consecutive victories, including a 23-17 decision over the previously unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7, to take over sole possession of the NFC East lead.
Seattle is set to host the Rams in a Dec. 27 divisional showdown and conclude regular season play Jan. 3 with another divisional game at the 49ers.
Myers, who continues to reside in the area during the offseason, enjoyed a special meet-and-greet with Sharp healthcare workers in June.
“Had a great time at Sharp Healthcare Chula Vista to say thanks to social workers, maintenance, cafeteria staff and other personnel,” Myers posted on his Twitter account (@JayMy_31). “They often fly under the radar, but they are just as essential during this pandemic.”
Smith helps lead Washington into NFC East lead
The Washington Football Team significantly improved its chances of qualifying for the upcoming playoffs by recording a key 23-15 road victory at the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Former Helix High School standout Alex Smith completed eight of 19 passing attempts for 57 yards in the win, Washington’s fourth consecutive victory.
With the win and a 26-7 loss by the New York Giants to the visiting Arizona Cardinals, Washington moved into sole possession of the NFC East Division lead with a 6-7 record. The Giants dropped to 5-8 in second place while the Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) and Dallas Cowboys (4-9) both gained ground on New York with victories on Sunday.
Philadelphia stunned the pro football world with a 24-21 home field win over the visiting New Orleans Saints, who had entered the game as the No. 1-ranked NFC team.
Dallas, which had lost six of its last seven games, got a much-needed victory by defeating host Cincinnati, 30-7, to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Smith, who left Sunday’s game at halftime due to a leg injury, improved to 4-1 since taking over starting quarterback duties for the team last month.
Sunday’s game was played in Glendale, Ariz., after the 49ers were forced to move their base of operations following an edict to shut down all sports activities in Santa Clara County.
San Francisco opened up an early 7-0 lead a one-yard run by Jeffery Wilson but Washington responded with 23 unanswered points to spirit away the victory. The designated visitors rallied with 13 points in the second quarter and tacked on 10 more points in the third quarter.
Washington posted the win without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Chase Young (47-yard fumble return) and Kamren Curl (76-yard interception return) scored defensive touchdowns while Dustin Hopkins converted on three of four field goal attempts to finish the game with 11 kicking points.
Smith, a Bonita Vista Middle School alumnus, battled a mild calf strain throughout the game after suffering a leg injury in the team’s previous game. Blood was noticeable pouring out of his sock after being spiked during Washington’s 23-17 upset win over the previously undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7.
“Quickly, obviously got worse to the point where it really, really affected me and my ability, certainly dropping back and being able to decelerate and push off,” Smith said in a midweek press conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with Seattle. “Felt like it was affecting me a ton, especially on those last several drives, really battling with that mentally, how much it was affecting me and limiting me out there.”
San Francisco scored on six-yard pass from Nick Mullens to Kyle Juszczjk and added a successful two-points conversion early in the fourth quarter to pull to within eight points on the scoreboard. However, the 49ers could not inch any closer as the Washington defense stopped them on four potential four-quarter possessions.
Washington finished the game with four sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception.
Top draft pick Dwayne Haskins finished the game for Smith, compiling 51 passing yards on seven of 12 attempts without a turnover.
Due to Smith’s inability to practice this week, Washington head coach Ron Rivera said Haskins will start the team’s upcoming game against the visiting Seahawks.
Smith has completed 146 of 220 passes (66.4 percent) for 1,420 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions. It’s been trying at times behind center, however, with 19 sacks for negative 122 yards.
In 173 career NFL games, Smith has passed for 35,488 yards with 197 touchdowns and 107 interceptions.
Extra points
Mount Miguel alum Corey Littleton registered two tackles for Las Vegas in the Raiders’ 44-27 loss to the visiting Indianapolis Colts. Littleton, who missed two games due to COVID-19 protocols, has recorded 57 tackles, including 38 unassisted stops, in 11 games this season.
The loss dropped the Raiders to 7-6 through 13 of 16 regular season games while the Colts (9-4) significantly improved their chances to qualify for the upcoming playoffs. Former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers helped guide Indianapolis past Las Vegas by completing 19 of 28 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for a 118.7 quarterback rating.
On the season Rivers has passed for 3,507 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The Colts are tied with the Tennessee Titans atop the AFC South with identical 9-4 records, though the Titans currently own the tiebreaker between the teams.
Helix alumnus Levine Toilolo was credited with two tackles for the Giants in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals.
