It has been a wild season for the New York Jets. One unit on this team, however, has clearly been the best in the league. It is not their offense, as Zach Wilson has struggled. Their defense is one of the best in the league but not the best in the NFL. The one unit that has truly stood out in the NFL is the New York Jets’ special teams.
Kicker – Greg Zuerlein
When the kicker is scoring more points than the offense has during the season, that is a telling sign that A) the offense is terrible, and B) the kicker is excellent. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein is on track to have another great season. As of now, Greg Zuerlein has made 22 of his 23 field goals, with his longest being 53 yards, and he has made all 6 of his PATs/XPA.
Zuerlein has been dependable and consistent in the way he kicks the ball. The Jets have not had a consistently good kicker since Nick Folk was on the team. But Zuerlein has been a great piece for this New York Jets team, and they should extend him immediately.
It would be a tremendous mistake if this team decided to let him go, as he has been the one to keep the Jets close in games and even win games for them. The Jets should not make the same mistake they made with Nick Folk by parting ways to get younger at the position. This team is in win-now mode with Aaron Rodgers expected to return, and Zuerlein is another weapon they need on special teams.
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Punter – Thomas Morstead
Thomas Morstead is more notably known for his tenure punting with the New Orleans Saints. No matter where he has played, Morstead has truly shined, punting when he was a Miami Dolphin, Atlanta Falcon, and during his first tenure with the New York Jets.
The Jets needed a new punter since the Braden Mann saga did not work due to inconsistency and injuries. So the Jets parted ways with Mann for Morstead, and it was the smart decision because Morstead is a much better punter.
Currently, Morstead leads the league with 52 total punts for 2,546 punting yards. Morstead has put the Jets in perfect spots. He even became the special teams player of the week after his Week 8 performance against the New York Giants.
If it were not for the punts Morstead made in that game, the Jets would probably have lost against a Tommy DeVito-led Giants team. Morstead is playing at a Pro Bowl level, and nobody should be shocked if he represents the AFC in the Pro Bowl.
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Returner – Xavier Gipson
The Jets coming into the season had a question mark regarding who the return man would be on their special teams. The person that has stepped up to the plate is undrafted free agent Xavier Gipson. Gipson became a notable New York Jets name in the Home Opener against the Buffalo Bills where he scored the game winning touchdown.
Excluding the one game against the Denver Broncos where he fumbled the football twice, Gipson has done a nice job in this role and became a dependable returner with the team. He has been such a great addition that he ultimately replaced Mecole Hardman on the team. Once Gipson took Hardman’s role, the Jets did not have any planned usage for him and ultimately traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs for a late-round draft pick upgrade.
The Jets really have something in Xavier Gipson, and if he remains healthy, along with his development continuing to improve, he should be the return man for the Jets in the long term.
The Jets Special Teams Unit is Amazing
The only bad game the special teams have had was against the Los Angeles Chargers, but besides that one game, the Jets have the best special teams in the league. It is not even close and DVOA absolutely agrees with that statement as they also have ranked the Jets as the best special teams in the league.
Kudos to Brant Boyer, who has done a really good job as the special teams coordinator for the New York Jets. Even during the Adam Gase and Todd Bowles years, Boyer has remained as the Special Teams Coordinator and has done a great job with the team.
It often gets overlooked, but Boyer is one of the most underrated coordinators in the league today, and hopefully, he gets more respect after the strong season the special teams have had this year. While the offense has struggled all season, at least the defense and special teams have been outstanding for the team.
