Special Teams Review: Jets-Raiders

We've been breaking down this week's game against the Raiders. We wrap up today's analysis with a look at the special teams.

Let's review the key contributions...

Kicking game - Ghastly Castillo

Sergio Castillo missed another extra point this week and this was a bad one, sliced badly despite a perfect hold and no pressure. He made his other two extra points though.

Braden Mann had touchbacks on four out of five kickoffs. He's quietly improved at this since taking over the role. Only four of his first 14 kickoffs were touchbacks, but 10 of his last 12 have been. He's also in the top 10 in the league for average kickoff distance.

As a punter, his progress has been slower, but his numbers weren't bad this week. One punt went inside the 10 and under pressure late in the game he kicked well to the sideline when a shank could've given the Raiders a short field.

Tarell Basham and Henry Anderson applied some pressure on punts and Arthur Maulet and Jordan Jenkins did the same on field goal or extra point attempts. Ryan Griffin allowed pressure on one of Castillo's successful kicks.

Kick coverage - The Bryce is Right

Bryce Hager has done a good job on the kick coverage units since being added to the active roster. He was credited with two special teams tackles for the second week in a row. Maulet was also credited with a special teams tackle at the 30 on a kickoff.

The second of Hager's tackles saw him trip the punt returner after both Basham and Matthias Farley had missed tackles. Corey Ballentine finished that off but didn't get credit for doing so. The first one came after Lamar Jackson overpursued and missed the tackle.

Maulet did a good job of getting downfield first as the gunner a few times but committed a personal foul when he appeared not to see Hunter Renfrow's late fair catch signal.

Return game - Corey Ballin' Time

Ballentine is proving himself to be the best kick return option the Jets have used all year as he had two nice returns on Sunday. Despite having to make a running catch on the first one, he weaved his way upfield to the 27 and his other return went out to the 32 behind a good block by Griffin.

Once again Braxton Berrios failed to return any punts and made a few shaky decisions on the ones that came his way. He took one fair catch inside the 10, but let two others bounce, one of which was downed inside the five and the other of which was almost downed at the one.

His vices again didn't help much. Jackson was badly beaten on one punt.

Perhaps the best play all day in the return game by either team was Daniel Brown's diving catch of Daniel Carlson's attempted squib kick near midfield. That gave the Jets an unexpected chance to throw a Hail Mary pass and was almost a disastrous gaffe by the Raiders.

That wraps up today's analysis from the game, but we'll be back with more over the next few days...