Numbers Tell a Compelling Story
The Jets being the Jets on special teams has produced gaudy numbers and achievements through the first 13 games:
â– Williams’ 78-yard punt-return touchdown against Miami was his second PR TD in a month, following up on his 74-yarder vs. Cleveland in Week 10. And with the runback against Dolphins, he became only the third different Jet/Titan with two punt-return TDs in a season. Titan Dick Christy did it twice, in ‘1961 and ’62, and Santana Moss had return TDs in back-to-back games in 2002. If Williams gets a third punt-return score, he would set the Jets’ single-season record and would be the first NFL player with three PR TDs in a season since Patrick Peterson for Arizona in 2011.
â– Williams improved his punt-return average to 14.9 yds/return, fifth in the NFL, while increasing his kickoff-return average to 29.7 yards/return, third in the league. He is the only qualifying player through 14 weeks in the NFL’s top five in both categories.
“I think right now he’s playing like one of the best if not the best returners in the league, when you talk about him being a dual guy,” Chris Banjo said. “We’re really excited to have him.”
â– Williams also had an 83-yard kickoff return against Atlanta, while Kene Nwangwu had his 99-yd KO-return TD vs. Cleveland. As a result, the Jets are averaging 29.8 yards/KO return and have an average drive start after KOs of their 34.8-yard line, both first in the NFL team rankings. Opposing teams have taken to kicking away from both returners, with the Falcons and Dolphins combining for six touchbacks, all six returned under the dynamic-kickoff rules to the Jets 35.
â– Nwangwu, with 13 kickoff returns, doesn’t have enough to qualify for the NFL’s lists. But lower the qualifying bar to one kickoff return for each team game, 13 returns to qualify, and Nwangwu’s 35.1-yard average would easily be No. 1 in the NFL while Williams would drop one notch to sixth.
â– Williams, Nwangwu and Will McDonald IV (blocked-FG-return TD at Tampa Bay) give the Jets four return TDs, tied for third in the league. And with all four of the Jets’ returns coming on specials, they’re No. 1 in ST TDs.
â– P Austin McNamara didn’t get much attention for his 72-yard punt Sunday, primarily because the Jets were trailing, 21-7, when he struck the second-quarter kick and it went for a touchback. Still, the punt tied for seventh-longest in franchise history and was the third-longest in a home game. A-Mac’s gross average has improved to 47.7 yards/punt, 12th in the NFL, and his net has risen to 43.5, fourth, while the Jets 6.7 yards/punt return is No. 2.
â– Last but far from the least is K Nick Folk, whose overall field goal conversion rate since 2023 is No. 1 in the NFL, an unconscious 96.1% (73 -of- 76), as is his 50-yards-plus accuracy of 89.5% (17 of 19). In the past seven seasons he has converted all 96 of his FG tries under 40 yards. And this season, Folk’s and the Jets’ FG accuracy of 95.8% (23 -of -24) are both No. 1.