Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett playing vs Jets with 10 screws, plate in his hand. Abe Lucas out

Less than two weeks after hand surgery, Tyler Lockett was back to try to keep the Seahawks in playoff contention.

The captain and top wide receiver started for Seattle Sunday against the New York Jets 13 days after his surgery in Los Angeles to repair a fracture in his hand below the index finger. Lockett played with 10 metal screws and a metal plate in his left hand. He wore bright green gloves over both hands, and presumably protective padding over his left one.

He practiced all last week. His hand was noticeably less swollen as the week progressed.

“We are only guaranteed two games, until we get something else,” Lockett said of the regular season and the playoff chances for Seattle, which had lost five of its last six games entering Sunday.

“I could sit home in the offseason and get my hand right.”

The Seahawks converted just 2 of 14 third downs last weekend at Kansas City with quarterback Geno Smith not having Lockett to target.

Lockett’s return came as fellow veteran wide receiver Marquise Goodwin went on injured reserve. The 32-year-old Goodwin had 27 catches for 387 yards and four touchdowns in his first Seahawks season before wrist and shoulder injuries.

The team signed linebacker Vi Jones off the practice squad to take Goodwin’s place on the active roster. Jones was inactive for the game Sunday.

The Seahawks were without rookie right tackle Abe Lucas against the Jets. He missed a start for the first time in his 15-game career because of a knee injury he got in the second half of Seattle’s loss at Kansas City Christmas Eve.

Stone Forsythe made the first start of his two-year career, for Lucas.

Ryan Neal missed his second consecutive game with a knee injury. Johnathan Abram was ready to make his first Seattle start at strong safety. Abram, the former first-round draft choice of the Raiders, signed with the Seahawks Nov. 30.

Third-down running back and special-teams mainstay Travis Homer missed Sunday’s game. Coach Pete Carroll said Homer has a “legitimate” high-ankle sprain. That means he will likely miss the team’s regular-season finale next weekend against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Seahawks left wide receiver Penny Hart inactive Sunday. That was after they elevated wide receiver Cade Johnson from the practice squad to play against the Jets.

Seattle’s other inactive players Sunday: cornerback Artie Burns and recently signed defensive tackle Isaiah Mack.

The Seahawks also elevated tight end Tyler Mabry from the practice squad for the game. Starting tight end Will Dissly went on injured reserve this past week with a knee injury.

The team had signed back tight end Jacob Hollister last week to the practice squad but did not elevate him to the game-day roster.

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