NY Jets: The other guys continue to make plays

During this second half season turnaround for the NY Jets, they’ve gotten contributions from the top to the bottom of their roster.

In my column last week, I highlighted the bottom of the roster: The no-names save the day for the Jets. Some fans considered this to be a bit of a fluke, a one week wonder kind of thing. It seems though after the Jets disposed of the New England Patriots this past weekend, “the other guys” are starting to earn some recognition and deservedly so.

Starting with the unsung hero in Quincy Enunwa, a guy who isn’t anywhere near the top of the pecking order in terms of targets or looks in the Jets passing game. Enunwa is an offensive linemen in many regards, he gets none of the credit for doing the dirty work or the praise of making big plays often, but that changed this week and Brandon Marshall shared his thoughts about it via the post game press conference:

Brandon Marshall: “You guys talk about Fitz and me all the time, but it really is those guys like Quincy. What he does in the run game for us, being able to play wide receiver, tight end, running back it’s amazing.”

Also head coach Todd Bowles provided some thoughts on Enunwa provided by the Media Relations Department of the Jets:

On how he felt for Quincy Enunwa making a big catch in OT after missing a chance late in fourth quarter…

It was great seeing him catch the ball. A drop is a drop and a catch is a catch. He came back in a big way. Quincy was fighting through it the entire game. He made some big plays for us.

On what it meant to have Enunwa make a big catch in overtime after dropping potential game-winner in fourth quarter…

I don’t know if he dropped it. It was a tough catch. His hand went up and the ball was already right there. Quincy was fighting all game. He blocked well. He caught some balls earlier and he made a big play there.

Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (81) runs the ball during overtime against New England Patriots cornerback Leonard Johnson (34) at MetLife Stadium. New York Jets defeat the New England Patriots 26-20 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Enunwa hasn’t been the only one for this Jets team making plays, there are several others that deserve mentioning that have made the difference for this team. Guys like rookie Lorenzo Mauldin who notched his fourth sack of the season against the Patriots continues to make plays in his new role as a situational pass rushing outside linebacker.

In the Jets-Patriots game alone we saw several Patriot castoffs making plays that didn’t necessarily make the highlight reel on ESPN, but were major reasons why the Jets won the ballgame. For instance after Chris Ivory went out due to injury, Stevan Ridley stepped in and filled the role and made a few guys miss.

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While at the wide receiver position, Kenbrell Thompkins nearly looked like he was done for the season after being carted off the field. Fortunately, he avoided serious injury as he returned in the overtime period. It appears he will be ready for the Jets Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills after catching six passes for 77 yards on 15 targets over the past two games. Overall, “the other guys” on the Jets are continuing to make plays at the perfect time for the Jets.