Special Teams Review: Jets-Bears

We've been breaking down this week's game against the Bears. We wrap up today's analysis with a look at the special teams.

Let's review the key contributions...

Kicking game - Mann mishandled

The Jets made a change this week, moving Greg Zuerlein back onto kickoffs ahead of Braden Mann. Maybe this was because Mann had been so overworked last week, but it probably had more to do with the fact that the conditions were slippery and Mann had slipped over on two kickoffs already this year. All six of Zuerlein's kickoffs were touchbacks.

Speaking of the slippery conditions, that was an issue for Mann as the Jets lined up for a potential 38-yard game-tying field goal in the second quarter. Mann dropped the snap and then tried to retrieve it and shovel it ahead to a teammate. Initially it looked like this might be a fumble, but it was clear that he threw it ahead, which at least preserved a small amount of field position.

The placekicking unit otherwise had mixed results. Despite the rain, Zuerlein boomed a 57-yard field goal to tie his own season-high, which itself had tied Chandler Catanzaro's franchise record. This would have been good from beyond 60. Zuerlein would later hook a 53-yarder wide though.

Mann only punted twice, doing a fine job. His first punt got the return man backpedalling and was a 62-yarder so even though there was a 12-yard return, that's still a 50-yard net. The second was even better as it bounced inside the 10 and was downed at the goal line.

Vinny Curry and Michael Clemons were getting a pretty good interior push on some of the Bears punts, with Curry almost disrupting the one where the Bears punter dropped the snap.

Kick coverage - Cut to the Chazz

In his first game as a Jet, linebacker Chazz Surratt was the only Jets player to make a special teams tackle, as he knocked the punt returner out of bounds.

Justin Hardee was held without a tackle for just the second time all season, as he drops one behind the league leaders for total special teams tackles. He slipped on the return where Surratt made the tackle, but still made one great play as he downed Mann's punt at the goal line.

Return game - Knight Mare

Another debutant, Bam Knight, was back along with Braxton Berrios on kickoff returns and brought one out from a couple of yards deep but was blown up by four Bears tacklers on the play near the 15. Hardee, Jermaine Johnson and Jeremy Ruckert all missed their blocks here.

Berrios didn't get any chances on kickoff returns, but he did well on punts with 22 and 16-yard returns as the punter basically outkicked his coverage twice.

He also took two fair catches and let one bounce. Sauce Gardner blew his assignment on one of those fair catches.

That wraps up today's analysis from the game, but we'll be back with more over the next few days...