Special Teams Review: Jets-Texans

We've been breaking down this week's game against the Patriots. We conclude today's postgame analysis with a look at the special teams.

Let's review the key contributions...

Kicking game - The Patterson of tiny feet

The Jets elevated Riley Patterson to be their kicker for this game with Greg Zuerlein now on injured reserve. He made all three of his extra points, although the first one banked in off the upright.

Perhaps the more interesting aspect of his performance was his kickoffs. Either because he doesn't have such a big leg or perhaps by design, he didn't have any touchbacks whereas Zuerlein had been kicking touchbacks all the time.

Obviously a touchback gives the other team the ball at the 30, so if you can stop them before they get there, it's a win. On his four kickoffs one was returned past the 35 but only because of a holding penalty, the next was stopped short of the 30 but there was a facemask penalty against the Jets, the next was blown up at the 26 and the last one was stopped right at the 30. So the Jets had two wins, a push and a loss compared with four touchbacks.

Punter Thomas Morstead did an outstanding job of directional punting to limit punt returns to zero yards, putting most of his punts over by the sideline.

His first punt, under heavy pressure from his end zone, went out of bounds near midfield but then he had two gems, a 56-yarder that was muffed at the sideline and a 75-yarder that rolled down to the two.

His other two punts were a short one that was fair caught and a touchback before halftime where he probably didn't care about putting it in the end zone.

The Jets' punt protection was not very good as Chazz Surratt, Thomas Hennessy (twice), Isaiah Davis and Jeremy Ruckert all allowed their man to get pressure. Three of these came on an all-out rush on the punt Morstead had from his end zone. With Ashtyn Davis out, Isaiah Davis moved to the up-back position, which might be good for a fake at some point. Ruckert had filled Davis' usual spot on the wing.

On Texans kicks, the Jets had a couple of big penalties as Irv Charles almost blocked a punt but ended up roughing the kicker and Eric Watts had a personal foul for illegal contact on the long snapper on a field goal.

Return game - Xavier Zip-son

Xavier Gipson didn't have any returns in this game as every Texans kickoff was a touchback and every punt was a fair catch. That included one that was negated due to the Charles penalty.

On two of his fair catches, Gipson should have returned it and Brandin Echols was yelling at him again, like last week. On each of those returns, Echols and the other gunner, Kendall Sheffield had the gunners locked down. Sheffield did perhaps get away with a hold a couple of times, though.

Both Echols and Sheffield were beaten once to force the other two fair catches.

Kick coverage - JBC Song

The Jets finally got a chance to cover some kickoffs and Charles had the best moment when he blew up a return at the 25 by shoving his man back into the return man. Jarrick Bernard-Converse made a good stop at the 30 and Surratt combined with Echols on another stop on a play where Marcelino McCrary-Ball drew a holding penalty. Kenny Yeboah also had a tackle, but was called for a face mask penalty.

Charles and Jarius Monroe had missed tackles on kickoffs, but Charles redirected the return man laterally on his.

On punts, Charles forced a fair catch and Bernard-Converse got downfield well to down Morstead's punt near the goal line.

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