In-Depth Analysis: Special Teams (Week 4 - Jacksonville)
This was a HUGE week for special teams. There was the winning kick, a return to set up the winning kick, a huge punt that set that up and a crazy fake punt that set up another field goal attempt (which missed).
Kicking game - Chandler Catanz-hero
Chandler Catanzaro sent his overtime kick right through the uprights to clinch the win for the Jets, atoning for an earlier miss. He's not exactly been lights out so far, but that was a big moment for him, especially since he had a few clutch misses last year.
It's still not entirely apparent why the Jets opted to spike the ball and leave 30 seconds on the clock before attempting the fourth down kick, but it didn't matter in the end.
Punter Lachlan Edwards actually struggled for much of the game before coming up big late. Perhaps he was outfoxed on a weirdly short directional kick that ended up being fielded up the up-back who dropped off at the snap but he had a couple more short ones and put one into the end zone from the 41.
However, late in overtime, Edwards pinned the Jaguars back inside their five with a booming punt that Marqise Lee misjudged. It ended up being a 70-yarder - a career long - and put the Jets in a position to win the game.
That would have been the best moment of Edwards' career had he not completed a 31-yard pass on a wacky fake punt near the end of the first half. On 4th-and-21, Edwards, who - by his own admission - can't throw to save his life, tossed the ball to gunner Marcus Williams, who was completely uncovered on the outside. Perhaps that's what he's been coached to do in that situation but it was a low percentage option with so far to go.
Williams still had a ton to do to get to the marker, a task he made harder when he tried to cut to the inside when his best chance was clearly around the edge. Luckily Rontez Miles inadvertently intervened, knocking him back on course and causing the defender to overpursue.
Unfortunately, the Jets then screwed up the clock management and ended up rushing a field goal attempt which missed, but this play was memorable anyway:
Jacksonville also missed a field goal, with Buster Skrine applying pressure off the edge.
Return game - That's not fair!
Torpedoing my best efforts to affirm that the Legend of Fair Catch Kerley is a big fat myth, Jeremy Kerley fair caught his first five punts in a row and then let one bounce that rolled down inside the five.
However, he finally caught one when the Jaguars punted from the end zone in overtime. He did well to come up and catch the short kick, but instead of ploughing ahead to set the Jets up with great field position, he went East-West, which was practically begging for someone to commit an illegal block and take away the field position. However, the blockers kept their discipline and Kerley was able to turn upfield to the Jags' 40.
The Jets got a further boost at the end of the play when Dylan Donahue tried to light up Paul Posluszny, who uncharacteristically taunted him, gifting the Jets another 15 yards to put them well inside Catanzaro's range.
ArDarius Stewart got his first chance to return a kick-off and did well, taking it back 32 yards, behind good blocks by Jonotthan Harrison and Elijah McGuire.
Kick coverage - Miles All Round
Miles' return saw him make an immediate impact as he made a tackle at the 15 on a kick-off return and then helped run down Edwards' booming punt, slowing the return man down even though he missed the tackle. Stewart did the same and Julian Stanford cleaned up with a tackle at the 10-yard line.
Stewart also saw time as a primary gunner, as did Williams, who drew a flag on one play.
This was a very good all-round special teams performance, especially since one of their best contributors - Josh Martin - did not play.