Special Teams Review: Jets-Seahawks

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 - AnderWatch!

Whether or not it was by design, Anders Carlson caused chaos with his kickoffs this week. While the first fumble was on the return, the next two saw the ball muffed with one turnover and one that the return man flopped on near the 10-yard line. He did have one touchback.

As for his placekicking, Carlson only attempted two extra points with one blocked and one good. The block saw Leonard Williams penetrate against Thomas Hennessy and John Simpson. The Jets opted not to attempt a 59-yarder early in the second half which would have extended their lead to 24-16.

Punter Thomas Morstead had a poor game. He put one in the end zone from the 42-yard line and another was shanked out of bounds for 34. He had another punt from midfield that was fair caught at the 15. His best punt of the day was a well-covered 51-yarder on which the punt returner seemed to have room and probably should have made more yardage.

The Jets blocked their first placekick attempt of the year as Quinnen Williams penetrated and got a paw on an extra point.

Kick coverage - 'Wu Baby!

In his first game as a Jet, Kene Nwangwu made an immediate impact as he pursued the return man across the field and punched the ball free to create a turnover, recovered by Brandin Echols.

The other two kickoff returns were muffed. The first saw the return man fall on it at the 12-yard line. Marcelino McCrary-Ball almost got to it first and made contact with the return man as he fell on it but didn't get credit for a tackle. The other was recovered and then fumbled again as the return man fell to the ground without being touched. Carlson was on the spot to recover this one.

On punts, Irv Charles did a great job to get downfield and make a tackle after a short return and helped force a fair catch along with Echols and Sam Eguavoen. However, he lost sight of a ball that bounced into the end zone and could perhaps have made a play on that with better awareness.

Return game - Kene Nwangwhoa!

Nwangwu also made an immediate impact in the return game with a spectacular 99-yard touchdown. McCrary-Ball did a great job on this play with an initial block to spring him into the clear and then another pancake block on Jason Myers after he hustled 40 yards downfield.

For most of the rest of the game, the Seahawks tried to keep it away from Nwangwu, with one touchback. However, Xavier Gipson also had a couple of good returns for 45 and 36 yards with Nwangu himself, Qwan'tez Stiggers and Ashtyn Davis making the key blocks.

Nwangu did have two other returns to about the 30. Tony Adams had a good block on one but Gipson whiffed on his block on the other.

On punt returns, Gipson was blown up immediately on one, had a fair catch and left one that bounced into the end zone. Echols was beaten on all three of these.

Gipson was also at fault on the 12-men on the field penalty as he ran out to return a punt even though the offense had stayed on the field on 4th-and-6.

We'll be back with the 3-on-D and 3-on-O over the next few days...