Jets Q&A: Anatomy of a successful onside kick
New York Jets' Justin Hardee (34) recovers an onside kickoff against the Cleveland Browns during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard) Credit: David Richard
What happened on the onside kick?
It was executed perfectly by the Jets. Punter Braden Mann kicked it toward the left sideline and Will Parks hit Amari Cooper and then tipped the ball and tried to grab it. Two Browns players touched it before Justin Hardee fell on it, and he didn’t let it go.
“Will Parks was like, ‘Man, I’m going to smack Amari Cooper, I’m going to keep the ball alive,’ ” Hardee said. “Once the ball was twirling around, all I see was the guy who was supposed to catch it got hit and then another guy, it bounced off a few hands. Once it touched my hands, it wasn’t going nowhere else.”
Mann, who recovered from back tightness that had bothered him this past week, said the Jets practice that during the week.
“We work on a bunch of different kicks just in case a certain situation calls for it,” Mann said. “We’ll hit on it at least Wednesday or Friday.”
How much did Ashtyn Davis play before making his game-sealing interception?
It was his first defensive snap of the game. Davis played on special teams, but he has dipped to fourth on the safety depth chart. This was his first play and he picked off Jacoby Brissett in the final seconds.
“Whatever opps come my way, I’m trying to contribute however I can,” Davis said. “I got an opp today and I tried to make the most of it.”
Did C.J. Mosley know the Jets won with Davis’ INT?
No. Mosley admitted he was so angry that Nick Chubb scored a touchdown with 1:55 left that he didn’t realize Cade York missed the extra point. Mosley thought the score was tied.
“I didn’t know they missed the extra point at all,” Mosley said. “When Ashtyn got the interception, I was like, ‘We need more yards. We need to get into field-goal range.’ Everybody was celebrating. Once I figured it out, it was a great feeling.”
Was there any vindication for Robert Saleh for sticking with Joe Flacco and after his “taking receipts” remark?
Nope, he said. “We got to win a hell of a lot more than one game to cash in on those.”
As for Flacco, he played great at the end. His steady demeanor was just what the Jets needed in very emotional stages of the game.
“With Joe, he’s just a calming force,” Saleh said. “He’s been in a lot of these situations, leading a bunch of young men. I thought he was cool, calm, got the ball where it needed to go.”
What was the crowd like at the end of the game?
The stadium got eerily quiet after Flacco hit Corey Davis for a 66-yard touchdown with 1:22 left. Then the fans booed at the end of the game.
“It was a really weird feeling because of how quiet it got,” Flacco said. “You almost thought it was a penalty or something. That feeling was something I hadn’t really felt before like how quiet it actually got there. The game wasn’t over.”
Davis loved making the crowd go quiet: “That’s what you want. That’s a great feeling. That was a great feeling.”
Did Jeremy Ruckert get in the game?
After being inactive last week, the Lindenhurst product played 27 total snaps between offense and special teams. Ruckert, used mostly as a blocker, dropped the one pass thrown to him.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
