Getty Ex-Chicago Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro getting himself ready for an NFL contest.
The New York Jets fell to 3-10 on the year after their tough 30-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
With that defeat, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 11th straight year and clinched their fifth double-digit loss season in six years.
Although it wasn’t all doom and gloom after the game, one insider found the silver lining in all of this that should make every Jets fan crack a smile.
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It has been a wild game of musical chairs at the kicker position for the Jets over the last couple of years.
Specifically, since they released veteran Nick Folk after the 2016 campaign they have had nine different kickers:
- Chandler Catanzaro
- Jason Myers
- Kaare Vedvik
- Sam Ficken
- Sergio Castillo
- Chase McLaughlin
- Matt Ammendola
- Alex Kessman
- Eddy Pineiro
The latest addition came right after the Philadelphia Eagles game which featured rookie Alex Kessman botching two extra points. Less than 24 hours later he was released and the Jets added Pineiro formerly of the Chicago Bears.
He hadn’t kicked in the NFL since 2019, Pineiro missed the 2020 season due to a groin injury.
Well, give him credit for making the most of his opportunity. While the Jets lost the game versus the Saints on Sunday, without their kicker they wouldn’t have scored a single point.
Pineiro was three-for-three in the contest scoring all nine points for the Jets. He converted twice from 36 and once from 46.
He performed so well that ESPN New York Jets Insider Rich Cimini tweeted that it’s time to, “give him a lifetime contract!”
While Cimini may have been kidding, I’m not so sure Jets fans are because they seem ready to commit.
We Finally Have a Kicker
The issues at kicker seemingly on a yearly basis have been confounding, but it finally seems like the Jets have things under control.
While that is a comforting thought and a nice silver lining, the fact remains that Gang Green still has a ton of issues to work through moving forward.
For the sixth time in eight games, the Jets defense has allowed 30 points or more. While they played admirably in the first half in Week 14, it was all for not because the offense couldn’t complete their side of the equation.
The Jets offense has been dealing with a variety of injuries. Corey Davis is out for the season after undergoing core muscle surgery and fellow receiver Elijah Moore was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Additionally, wide receiver Jeff Smith was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list which made things less than ideal for their rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
With so many injuries, the Jets had to rely upon an island of misfit toys at wide receiver which threw off the timing of the offense. Also with that lack of reps, the chemistry was off and it seemed like the quarterback and receiver were rarely on the same page.
It seems every time the Jets take one step forward, they take several steps back. At least when your head hits the pillow tonight, you can rest easy knowing the kicker situation has been solved, at least for the foreseeable future.
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