In-depth analysis: Jets-Giants (Part Three: Special Teams)

Over the course of today, we'll be breaking down the performance of every player that took the field in the Jets' preseason game against the Giants. We'll wrap up now with a look at the special teams units.

Kicking - Does it look like I give a Folk?

Nick Folk nailed a couple of field goals this week and also kicked off once with the return from the 3-yard line. He looks certain to be on the opening day 53, although don't be surprised if they use his veteran status to temporarily release him and create some wiggle room in final cuts.

Harrison Mevis didn't get a chance to kick a field goal or extra point but he kicked off twice. One was short but the other was a touchback.

Punter Austin McNamara was a standout this week, as he put four of his six punts inside the 20 and one of the other two was a 60-yarder fielded at the 21. Two of the punts were batted back into the field of play on the goal line but downed at about the six or seven yard line.

Kick Coverage - Best Weston

This linebacker/gunner experiment with Ja'Markis Weston seems to be paying off. He was first down the field twice, once as the return man elected not to catch it and the Jets downed it inside the 10 and once to force a fair catch. He also drew a holding penalty.

The other guy getting work as a gunner this week was Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who was one of the players that prevented a McNamara punt from going into the end zone so the Jets could down it. (Kene Nwangwu was the other). Bernard-Converse was also down first twice, although one of those saw him hit the punt returner early to draw a flag. The other one led to a Malachi Moore and Jackson Sirmon tackle.

That gunner situation is wide open, especially since the most obvious choices - Irv Charles and Kris Boyd - remain injured.

Also credited with special teams tackles were Neal Johnson, Bump Cooper, Zack Kuntz and Qwan'tez Stiggers.

Return Game - Breaking up with your X?

Xavier Gipson made his return this week but was limited to just one kickoff return (where he ran straight into Moore) as the punt return role once again went to Jamaal Pritchett. Pritchett only had seven yards on two returns but he made the most of not much room on those, breaking a couple of tackles on the first one after Tanner McCalister was beaten by the gunner.

Kene Nwangwu had the best kickoff return of the day, out past the 40 behind good blocking from Jarius Monroe and Isaiah Oliver.

Behind him, they gave Donovan Edwards a shot at three returns, but he averaged just 17 yards with missed blocks from Kuntz, Dean Clark and Sirmon. On one of those, he ran straight into the back of Zaire Barnes.

Finally, Malachi Corley had a 25-yard return on which a holding penalty was called on Dymere Miller (although the gamebook officially credits this incorrectly to Clark, who wears the same number). Corley also missed a block on one Edwards return and was called for a penalty on another.