Three sets of statistical trends, records, marks and highlights by the Jets in their 13-11 loss to the Broncos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London this past weekend:
Kene Do It? Yes!
Two key Jets special teams components took note of their unit's play after the 13-11 loss to Denver in London. Kene Nwangwu, in his first game action since the Pittsburgh opener, said: "For me it's just how can I be more efficient setting up scores. There's different ways we can win the game." HC and ST advocate Aaron Glenn added: "I thought our special teams did a hell of a job."
Nwangwu and his unit contributed to 5 of those 11 points. Nwangwu and rookie Arian Smith downed Austin McNamara's punt at the Denver 3 to set up the third-quarter safety. But the gem for many fans was Kene's 72-yard first-quarter bounce-and-go kickoff return to position Nick Folk for his second of three field goals.
We'll lower the bar a bit but it's interesting to note that while Nwangwu has only 7 career kickoff returns as a Jet, two of them — his Sunday jaunt and his 99-yard TD return vs. Seattle last season — were monsters that have elevated his Jets average to 43.3 yards/return. That tops the franchise's top-5 list (5-plus returns) that also includes Ken Schroy (1979-80, 7 returns, 31.7 yards/return), Andre Roberts (2018, 40, 29.4), Walter Powell (2014, 8, 29.1) and Joe McKnight (2010-12, 76, 29.0).
Also worth keeping tabs on: The touchdown last year was Nwangwu's fourth kickoff-return score since the start of his five-year career in 2021. In that span, no other NFL returner has more than 2 KOR TDs.
Fake Kick, True Facts
The fake punt that the Jets converted late in the first half wasn't the most successful (it led to no points) and wasn't the deepest in its own territory, but it was a gutsy call by HC Aaron Glenn and STC Chris Banjo. And something else stood out about upback Breece Hall's 1-yard plow into the line on fourth-and-1 from the Jets 37: The first-down rush was executed by a running back.
Since 2000, the Jets have attempted 28 fake kicks (25 on punts, 3 on FGs). They have converted 20, 13 on running plays. And the breakdown of those 13 rushes: three were by punters (Steve Weatherford twice, Matt Turk), three by QBs (Tim Tebow twice, Brad Smith) four by safeties (Ashtyn Davis 3 times, Rontez Miles) and one by LB (Mo Lewis on a fake FG at New England in 2000).
Before Hall, the last time a Jets roster RB got the short snap and converted a fake kick on a rush was rookie LaMont Jordan vs. Buffalo in 2001.
A Final Rarity
The score of Sunday's London game marked the first time the Jets played to a 13-11 final, win or lose. In fact, it was only the third 13-11 game in NFL history and the first in 39 seasons. In a 1982 regular-season finale, the host Seahawks topped the Broncos by that score. Fewer than four years later, the visiting Lions nipped the Eagles, 13-11, in 1986.
