A few weeks ago it appeared that Garrett Wilson was the Jets' pass-catching gift who kept on giving. But after Jacksonville, Davante Adams may join Wilson as a Green & White's Secret Santa.
"Davante is a '1' receiver. He's a dynamic player," QB Aaron Rodgers said this week about a catcher to his pitches every day from 2014-21 with the Packers. "I think as a young player, it's good to see an example of what it looks like from somebody who's been at the top of his game for a number of years now."
"It's just about making plays at the right times," Adams said, holding his thumb and forefinger inches apart. "Sometimes it's just this big of a difference, the ball being here or your hands being there."
We mined two more franchise-type distinctions in the last few days after Adams' hands were in the same place as the ball for his nine catches, 198 yards and two touchdowns, all in the second half, against the Jaguars.
Three for 40 or More
The Jets had gone six games without a 40-yard completion but that drought ended when Aaron Rodgers connected with Wilson for 42 yards at Miami. Then Rodgers-to-Adams went for 40-plus not once, not twice but three times vs. the Jags.
Three 40-plus receptions in a game is a rarity in Jets history. It had been done only five previous times by four different receivers. The most recent was Eric Decker, from Geno Smith, in the 2014 season finale at Miami, almost 10 years before Adams.
Two other Jets classics appear on this list. Three of Wesley Walker's franchise-record four TD catches from Ken O'Brien went for 40-plus in the 51-45 overtime win over the Dolphins in 1986. Prior to that, Don Maynard had the largest second-half receiving explosion — before Adams last Sunday — in franchise history of 185 yards, built on his three fourth-quarter longball grabs from Joe Namath, in the 1968 shootout at Oakland affectionately known as "the Heidi Game."
This is the short list of Jets who notched three 40s in a game:
| Jets Receiver | Year-Gm | Opponent | 40+ Catches | QB | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bake Turner | 1963-9 | @ HOU | 47t-41-48 | Dick Wood | Oilers 31-27 |
| Don Maynard | 1968-10 | @ OAK | 47-50t-42 | Joe Namath | Raiders 43-32 |
| Don Maynard | 1969-6 | vs HOU | 40-57t-54t | Joe Namath | Jets 26-17 |
| Wesley Walker | 1986-3 | vs MIA | 65t-50t-43t | Ken O'Brien | Jets 51-45 OT |
| Eric Decker | 2014-16 | @ MIA | 40-74t-50 | Geno Smith | Jets 37-24 |
| Davante Adams | 2024-14 | @ JAX | 43-71t-41 | Aaron Rodgers | Jets 32-25 OT |
Davante's YAC Dimension
Yards after catch remain an unofficial statistic, and you can understand why when two reputable NFL stats sites list Adams' second-half yardage at J-ville as 114 and 86 yards. Some discrepancy there.
We have a different YAC figure for Adams, using the same standards we've applied to break down every Jets catch from 1997 to present into yards before and yards after. We charted Tae at 82 YBC and 116 YAC in the game. And 116 yards after catch are the most we've recorded by any Jets receiver in any game in the past 28 seasons.
As far as wideouts go, only one other Jets WR appears on the 100+ YAC list since '97. Keyshawn Johnson had 94 YBC and 100 YAC in the 1999 season opener at home, the 30-28 loss to the Patriots.
The single-game "record-holder" had been RB Leon Washington, who had 115 YAC in his four-catch, 108-yard performance during the Jets' 13-10 win at Miami on Christmas Night 2006. RB Bilal Powell has the next two top single-game YAC figures, 112 at the Giants in 2015, 110 vs. Miami the season after. Breece Hall had 108 YAC in the at Pittsburgh this year.
Now the Green & White's unofficial leader, for most yards after catch in a win, in a road game, in any game since '97, regardless of position, is Adams.
Could any of these metrics be approached Sunday at home vs. the Rams? No predictions, of course, but the Jaguars before last Sunday's game were allowing 7.77 net yards/pass play, 32nd in the NFL. The Rams are almost as vulnerable, yielding 7.19 net pass yards/play, 29th in the league.
