Jets Q&A: Marcus Maye, Braden Mann and upset fans after victory

What was Marcus Maye thinking on the Rams’ final drive?

He was focused on making a play, and he came up with probably the biggest one the Jets made in their 23-20 win.

On fourth-and-4 from the Jets’ 37, Rams quarterback Jared Goff threw down the right side to Gerald Everett — and Maye batted the pass away, giving the Jets the ball back. On the drive before that, Maye almost picked off a pass intended for Everett. It bounced off Maye’s hands and Everett caught it.

"That one hurt," Maye said. "I wish I could get that one back. But I can’t. That’s the fighter’s mentality. Keep playing, keep playing, keep playing. I had another opportunity at the end of the game and I made up for it."

Maye is a defensive captain and has earned the respect of his teammates for how hard he works and how selfless he is.

His teammates also appreciated how outspoken he was after former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams called for an all-out blitz in the waning seconds against the Raiders two weeks ago. It cost the Jets the game and Williams his job.

Maye had a chance to make sure the Jets didn’t suffer another heartbreaker, and he delivered.

"I can’t say enough about Marcus Maye," Adam Gase said. "What he did in this game, he almost tried to end it himself with an interception, but then he made a hell of a play at the end of the game. I’m just glad he was out there."

How big was the tackle that punter Braden Mann made?

It was a game-saving play. With the Jets ahead by three points in the fourth quarter, the Rams’ Nsimba Webster had plenty of room to run after fielding Mann’s punt, but the rookie has made a few of those open-field tackles on returns. Mann is a former linebacker, and those instincts kick in when he sees someone running toward him.

It ended up being a 34-yard return for Webster, but he could have reached the end zone if Mann hadn’t run him down.

"I was standing on the end that the returner was coming and there was a lot of green grass," Gase said. "That one was an unbelievable tackle by him."

How do the Jets feel about upsetting fans who wanted them to lose every game?

They don’t care if fans are upset. Coaches and players are never going to want to lose to secure a better draft pick. When the team is that bad, many of those coaches and players won’t be around to enjoy that pick anyway.

"Our job is to try and go out and win every week," Gase said.

If the Jets had lost every game, they would have picked first and selected Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. That would have meant Sam Darnold’s days as a Jet were numbered.

Darnold has done a good job of blocking out all that noise.

"It doesn’t affect us," he said. "We’re focused on one job every single week and that’s winning a game. Anything other than that we’re not focused on."  

What is Quinnen Williams’ status?

The nose tackle was having a big impact, but he left in the third quarter with a head injury. He’s in the concussion protocol.

What was the locker room like after the game?

Members of the media are not allowed in locker rooms because of COVID-19 protocols, so we have to take the coaches’ and players’ word for it.

"It’s lively in there," Gase said. "It’s loud. It’s a lot of excited guys. We got a long flight back. It will make it a lot more enjoyable."

What record did Frank Gore set on Sunday?

Gore, 37, played in his 240th game, passing Lorenzo Neal for the most by a running back in NFL history.