We’ve been breaking down this week’s game. We conclude today’s postgame analysis with a look at the special teams.
Let’s review the key contributions…
Kicking game – In the Nick of time
Nick Folk remains perfect on the year, although with the Jets going for two or trying to convert on fourth down so often, he didn’t get as much work as he might have. Folk made three field goals and two extra points, with the second of those extra points essentially being a game winner. That’s quite fitting on the day we lost another Nick; his former Jets teammate Nick Mangold.
The Jets did allow some near-pressure up the middle and off the edge, but Folk was able to get each kick off cleanly.
As a punter, Austin McNamara had his least-busy and least-effective game of the year. One of his punts was just a 38-yarder that was fair-caught five yards short of the 20 and the other was a touchback that he overcooked from near midfield.
The Jets couldn’t seem to make up their mind who was going to kick off on Sunday. McNamara did the first one, but Folk ultimately had two and he had five. Each put one a little too long for a touchback (Folk confirmed that’s never the intention in London) and the rest were a little further from the goal line than you’d like (averaged the 4.5 yard line).
Return game – Rise-siah Williams
Unexpectedly, return specialist Isaiah Williams had a big role on offense this week as he played 30 snaps and had 56 yards on four touches. However, he also contributed on returns with three punt returns for an average of almost 13 yards and five kick returns with an average of over 26.
He had a few broken tackles as he returned one kickoff out to the 40 behind a Kiko Mauigoa block and punt returns of 21 and 17 yards with one of those just being easy yardage up the sideline after the Bengals punter outkicked his coverage on a 66-yarder and the other being a nice run where he fielded a bouncing kick and cut upfield behind an Isaiah Oliver block.
He also had a 12-yard punt return negated by a Qwan’tez Stiggers holding penalty but was blown up at the 20 on one kick return where he tried to go laterally.
Deuce Carter was back in the lineup but not in the rotation on defense so he played some vice. He was beaten once. Jeremy Ruckert also had a couple of missed blocks and Mykal Walker and Isaiah Davis also missed blocks.
The only return all day that wasn’t by Williams came as Arian Smith fielded a short kick and broke a few tackles but never really got going upfield and was stopped at the 25.
Kick coverage – Myk Drop
The Jets were pretty solid covering kickoffs, as the Bengals’ longest return all day was only 26 yards. Walker was the only player credited with multiple special teams stops, including one where he combined with Andrew Beck to make the stop at the 25.
Mauigoa and Braiden McGregor also made good plays on kickoff coverage with Mauigoa tripping the return man and McGregor making a good stop at the 25 on the opening kickoff.
Perhaps the only mistake on this unit saw Stiggers overpursuing so the return man got to the edge but Azareye’h Thomas chased it out at about the 30.
On the two punts, Ja’Markis Weston got downfield to force a fair catch but on the other one Smith was unable to prevent the ball from going into the end zone for a touchback despite being down there on time.
We’ll be back with the 3-on-D and 3-on-O over the next few days…