Josh Martin is one of special teams coordinator Brant Boyer's "core guys," and he demonstrated that role with an unusual distinction last Sunday: He played on every one of the Jets' 33 special teams plays against the Dolphins.
"I was on field goal and field goal block and in all four phases [kickoff cover and return, punt cover and return]," Martin said of his tour of special duty. "It's something I take pride in. You've got to come back Monday, recover as much as possible for next week. But I try to help wherever I can."
Only three times since 2012, when play counts became available, has a Jet played in 100% of special teams plays in a game. And Martin's done it twice, since he was 26-for-26 in this year's opener at Buffalo. The only other Jet to do it was Josh Mauga, who played on all 27 ST plays vs. San Francisco in 2012.
Regardless of percentage, Martin's 33 ST plays were the most in a game by a Jet in the last six seasons. Ellis Lankster logged 31 plays three times in '13, Troy Davis also had 31 plays in '13, and Nick Bellore had a 30-play game in '12.
Participation is fine, but as Martin said, "You don't want to just be a guy. Whether it's making a tackle, forcing a turnover, getting a block, that's always in my mind, how can I affect the game within the scheme to help the team win."
Not only is Martin positively affecting the Jets' coverage units with eight tackles, he's also the OLB starter in the base defense, so he's averaging 28 defensive snaps a game along with his 25 ST plays, and just recorded his first full sack of the season last week at Miami.
ASJ's TD StreakAustin Seferian-Jenkins may have been held to three receptions at Miami, but with 26 catches he's still on pace to challenge the Jets' record for catches by a tight end in a season. And as soon as Sunday he can set another mark for his position.
ASJ has touchdown catches in each of the last three games. Only one tight end in franchise history has a longer streak of TD receptions, but the catch there is that Richard Caster's five-game streak carried over from the 1974 season into the '75 season.
No Jets TE has an in-season TD streak longer than three games, and with a score vs. Atlanta, probably in the rain, Seferian-Jenkins will make it four straight.
Wilkerson vs. the PassLeonard Williams was happy that the Jets' front line had some highlights vs. the Miami running game last week. And he was even happier for his next-door neighbor on the D-line.
"It was great to see Mo make some plays," Williams said of Muhammad Wilkerson. "He got that interception, and I tried to even push him into the end zone and help him get a touchdown for his birthday. We fell a little short, but the offense ended up scoring, so it was good to see."
Wilkerson came up a yard short of becoming only the third Jets D-lineman and the first in more than a half-century to score on an interception. Nick Mumley turned the trick in 1960 for the Titans at Denver and LaVerne Torczon scored for the Jets in 1964 at Oakland.
But the pick still gives Mo a chance for to reach a historical milestone Sunday. With an interception against Matt Ryan and the Falcons, he would become the third Jets D-lineman to post INTs in back-to-back games. DT Scott Mersereau first did it in 1991 and NT (!) Jason Wiltz last did it in 1999.
And with another pick in any game, Wilkerson will join Mersereau as the only defensive linemen with three INTs in their Jets careers.
