These numbers show how Jets' special teams were the NFL's best

Jets returner Isaiah Williams was voted the team MVP. It was deserving but also spoke volumes about how bad the season was for the Jets.

Williams was a big part of a special teams unit that did so much heavy lifting. The offense and defense didn’t carry their weight or do enough to keep games competitive.

The Jets finished with a 3-14 record. It might have been a better year had they played complementary football.

Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo’s group led the NFL with a 62.18 EPA (expected points added). It was the highest by a Jets team this century and in the NFL since 2016, according to TruMedia. EPA measures how much a single play improves a team's chance to score.

“The whole unit as a whole has really been committed to excellence,” Banjo said.

The Jets, however, didn’t capitalize nearly enough. They finished 29th in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. Their 26 offensive touchdowns were tied for the second fewest in the league.

The defense also didn’t take advantage of punter Austin McNamara frequently flipping the field and pinning teams deep in their territory or the punt team’s excellent coverage.

McNamara’s 4.7-second hang time on punts ranked second in the league. He also was second in punts downed inside the 20 (32) and inside the 10 (13). The Jets allowed 6.3 yards per punt return, third best in the NFL. The opposition’s average starting field position after punts was the 21.3-yard line, the fourth best.

The Jets wasted all of this. They finished the season next to last in points allowed (29.6) and 30th in touchdowns given up (58).

Kicker Nick Folk, 41, also consistently came through for the Jets in his 18th NFL season. He led all kickers in field-goal percentage, making 28 of 29 (96.6%) and converted all 22 of his extra-point tries.

Overall, the Jets ranked in the top 10 in 10 special teams categories. They were first in five of them: EPA, special teams touchdowns (four), kickoff return average (29.9), field-goal percentage and extra-point percentage.

Williams finished third with 396 punt return yards. He ran back two punts for touchdowns, and almost a third, but it was negated by a penalty. Williams was just the second Jet in the last 63 years with multiple punt return touchdowns in a season.

Additionally, Williams was the only player this year to return a kickoff more than 80 yards and a punt more than 70 yards. His 29.9-yard average on kick returns ranked second among players with 20 or more.

“His commitment to who he is as a person, but also his growth and development as a player has been really, really cool to see,” Banjo said of Williams.

Not surprisingly, the Jets’ special teams had a big hand in all three of their wins.

Their first, a 39-38 victory in Cincinnati after seven straight losses to open the year, will be remembered for Breece Hall’s brilliant game.

Hall ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to Mason Taylor on a halfback option play to tie the game with 1:54 left. Folk’s extra point was the difference and Williams had two returns that gave the offense good field position on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives after the Jets fell behind 38-24.

Williams returned a kickoff 37 yards to the Jets’ 40. Five plays later, Hall scored on a 27-yard run. After a rare defensive stop, Williams returned a punt 21 yards to the Jets’ 42 to set up their final possession.

The next game, the Jets beat the visiting Browns, 27-20, on a day that the offense couldn’t do anything. Special teams saved them.

Kene Nwangwu returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Then Williams took a punt back 74 yards for a score. With the game tied 17-17, Williams returned a punt 19 yards to the Jets’ 42. They took the lead for good on a screen pass to Hall that went for a 42-yard touchdown. Folk closed out the Jets’ scoring with a field goal.

The Jets’ final win in Week 14, a 27-24 victory over Atlanta, was another special teams dominated game.

Gunner Qwan’tez Stiggers recovered a muffed punt at the Atlanta 2 early in the game. Hall ran it in on the next play. Williams had his 83-yard kick return in this game. It led to a Folk field goal.

With the game tied 24-all, Williams had a 16-yard punt return to the Jets’ 43 with 35 seconds left. The game ended with — what else? — a special teams’ play. Folk kicked a 56-yard field goal with no time remaining.

“We've become one of the elite special teams units across the league,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said.