We’ve been breaking down this week’s game against the Colts. We conclude today’s postgame analysis with a look at the special teams.
Let’s review the key contributions…
Kicking game – Anders Management
In his Jets debut, Anders Carlson came up big as he made all five of his kicks, including an impressive go-ahead 58-yarder that juuust snuck over the crossbar and inside the upright. That’s the second longest field goal in franchise history.
Interestingly, having previously implied that touchbacks on kickoffs were important by replacing Riley Patterson with Spencer Shrader, the Jets had Carlson laying his kicks up short so there were four returns. His hang time seemed pretty solid though and they pinned two inside the 25, although the other two got out past the 30. His last two kickoffs were touchbacks, proving he was capable of that.
Punter Thomas Morstead punted five times but it wasn’t his best game. He put one in the end zone and got a lucky bounce on another but outkicked his coverage slightly three times to allow 37 yards of returns.
Brandin Echols had a pressure on the 56-yard Matt Gay field goal for the Colts, but seemed to pull up short like he was scared to risk a roughing call.
Return game – You know that I would be Isaiah
Xavier Gipson returned three punts for 19 yards this week and also had one where he collided with the gunner to draw a fair catch interference penalty. DJ Reed, Brandin Echols, Ashtyn Davis and Chazz Surratt all had missed blocks to limit the damage Gipson could do.
All of the Colts’ kickoffs were touchbacks apart from one, which Isaiah Davis got blown up on near the 20. Qwan’tez Stiggers got lit up by the tackler trying to block him.
Gipson has now returned just two kickoffs in seven games.
Kick coverage – A Chazz-ling display!
Surratt was the big winner in kick coverage as he racked up four tackles to move into a commanding advantage of three in terms of the team lead. He almost doubled his total from five to nine.
Surratt’s most important was a saving tackle in space after Ashton Dulin picked up steam and broke out to the 40. Irv Charles and Sam Eguavoen were sealed off and Ashtyn Davis were blocked to the ground on that return.
Isaiah Davis, Charles and Marcelino McCrary-Ball each also had a special teams stop. McCrary-Ball’s stop was a good one at the 20.
Charles had one of his quieter games as he and Brandin Echols each overpursued a couple of times on punts and didn’t force any fair catches. However, his stop in kickoff coverage saw him upend the return man near the 25.
Eguavoen also had a missed tackle.
We’ll be back with the 3-on-D and 3-on-O over the next few days…