Special Teams Review: Jets-Vikings
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 - Mor where that came from
Punter Thomas Morstead was annoyingly pretty busy on Sunday, as he had to punt six times. He did a solid job though, apart from when he was forced to kick from his own end zone and had a short punt that put the Vikings in position to kick the field goal that made it 20-10 in the fourth quarter. He also had one punt that rolled into the end zone for a touchback.
For the season as a whole, though, he's done well. His net punting average is the best he's posted since 2019.
Morstead also got the Jets a first down when he drew a roughing penalty in the fourth quarter. That came as Thomas Hennessy whiffed on his block. The protection on punts was worryingly leaky as Braelon Allen also allowed a pressure off the edge and Morstead barely got one away after Ashtyn Davis blocked the wrong guy and left Josh Metellus to come free.
Greg Zuerlein bounced back this week by making a short field goal, two extra points and touchbacks on all four kickoffs. Unfortunately, Vikings rookie Will Reichard went three-for-three on field goals including two from beyond 50. If he missed one, the Jets could have probably got to overtime.
On Zuerlein's three made kicks there was pressure on one as Jake Hanson and Tyler Conklin were both beaten.
The Jets created no pressure on any Vikings kicks or punts.
Return game - Freed from Isaiah
Xavier Gipson had a good highlight this week as he burst for a 31-yard punt return, his longest since that Bills touchdown in his NFL debut. Qwan'tez Stiggers and Isaiah Oliver made the key blocks on this one with Stiggers doing well to get the gunner in the side rather than shove him in the back and Oliver dropping from deep to pick up a man well to spring Gipson. Davis did well to avoid a block in the back too.
One of the other punts was fair caught but Gipson drew a flag as was clipped by the gunner to who beat Stiggers, albeit only by half a step. Another was allowed to bounce inside the five by Gipson but the gunner stopped it from getting into the end zone. Gipson picked it up but was swarmed under at the three-yard line. Stiggers slipped at the line of scrimmage on that one. The last one similarly bounced near the goal line and was downed at the seven-yard line. Brandin Echols was beaten on that one, while Stiggers did well on his guy.
Both Gipson and Isaiah Davis were back deep on the kickoff return unit this week and Davis was actually the only one to get a return chance. His first return was stopped at the 25 as Gipson made a good block but Marcelino McCrary-Ball failed to sustain his block. On the other he got out to the 30 behind a good block by Chazz Surratt. McCrary-Ball and Irv Charles also had a good double team block on that one and Takk McKinley was another player who stayed in front of his man well.
Kick coverage - What on Irv?!?!
Charles did a great job this week on Morstead's seven punts. He forced a fair catch on one, was downfield quickly on the one that got an unlucky bounce and ended up as a touchback, blew one up immediately (although that was the roughing penalty anyway) and got down to blow another one up with Stiggers cleaning up after his missed tackle.
He also had a play where he shoved the blocker into the punt returner, forcing an apparent fumble, which Echols recovered. The replay assistance overturned that because it clearly hit Charles first but that easily could have hit someone else first and been a turnover.
Stiggers got extra work as a gunner with Echols moving into the line-up on defense temporarily when Gardner was hurt and he was in on one other tackle. While he was out there, Echols forced one fair catch and drew an illegal block in the back penalty
Davis and Sam Eguavoen were each credited with a tackle after short returns but the return man ran out of bounds on one of these and slipped on the other.
We'll be back with the 3-on-D and 3-on-O over the next few days...