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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Trailing in the fourth quarter, his team’s season teetering on the brink, wide receiver Garrett Wilson delivered OBJ 2.0 — a spectacular, one-handed catch in the end zone that propelled the New York Jets to a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.
Wilson’s 26-yard touchdown, his second of the game, was the talk of a jubilant postgame locker room. Some players said it reminded them of Odell Beckham Jr.’s iconic catch for the New York Giants 10 years ago in the same stadium (same end zone, different side).
Others described it as Michael Jordan-esque. In fact, Wilson — in mid-air — resembled the Jumpman logo, with his legs split and right hand high in the air as he snatched Aaron Rodgers’ third-and-21 pass in front of Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter.
“He looked like he was Jordan,” defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said. “Unbelievable.”
Initially ruled incomplete because Wilson got only one foot down, the Jets won a replay challenge after officials ruled that his left shin landed inbounds in the back of the end zone. Based on the rules, one shin equals two feet.
“Oh, my goodness,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “I mean, I was talking to the ref when they were reviewing it. I’m like, ‘Just for the sake of posterity, you have to let it stand just so it goes down in history.’ It would rival the Odell catch. It was amazing.”
Wide receiver Davante Adams said he didn’t see the replay until after the game. He joked with Wilson about the catch, saying it was so similar to the Jumpman logo that he might have to switch his endorsement allegiance.
“I told him he might get kicked from Adidas after that one,” Adams said. “That one looked like he’s heading over the Jumpman with me. We’re going to see. I’m going to talk to some people about that one. I’m not going to say they’re going to replace the logo because Mike might not like me saying that, but that was a hard catch.”
Not only was it acrobatic, but it was important, as the Jets (3-6) snapped a five-game losing streak to preserve their faint playoff hopes. After a dreadful first half, the Jets scored a touchdown on their last three drives to pull out a virtual must-win.
Wilson, who had a critical drop in a Week 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, finished with nine catches for 90 yards. His first touchdown, a 21-yarder, also was a one-handed grab. That was nice, too, but his second touchdown could turn out to be a turning point in the season.
“I was like, ‘That’s a good one, that’s a good one. And it’s got to count,'” Wilson said. “I remember saying to all of them, I’m like, ‘Y’all gassing me up too early. This has to count, y’all, let’s chill.’ Once it counted, I was like, ‘Yeah, all right, now y’all can tell me whatever.'”
Wilson was 14 years old when Beckham made his legendary catch against the Dallas Cowboys. Wilson was at his family’s home in Texas, watching with his father.
“Man, Odell’s, it was different,” he said. “He got two feet down. The ball was going to land out bounds and it was Odell, man. It was Odell against the Cowboys. That was the one. So for this to even come up in that convo, I’m blessed. I’m honored.”
Wilson’s touchdown gave the Jets a 14-10 lead with 12:54 left in the fourth quarter. The clincher came when Rodgers (22-for-32, 211 yards) threw his third touchdown pass, this one a 37-yarder to Adams — his first receiving touchdown since being traded by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Rodgers admitted he was “terrible” in the first half, throwing for only 32 yards, matching a career low. The lowpoint came when rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley, on his first NFL carry, fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback — a huge gaffe.
Corley, who got the ball on a jet sweep, had a clear path to the end zone but released the ball before he crossed the goal line. He celebrated as if he had scored his first touchdown, but a replay review confirmed that he was short.
Rodgers called it a “silly” play. Corley didn’t stick around to talk about it, leaving before the media was allowed in the locker room. Ulbrich admitted he was “definitely frustrated, to be honest — and angry at the same time. But what an amazing opportunity for this kid to learn and grow from. I promise you, 10 years from now when he’s still playing in this League, that will never happen again.”
The Jets trailed after a sloppy and listless first half, but then Wilson scored. And scored again, with a catch they will be talking about for a long time.
“Yeah, that’s up there,” Wilson said. “Just given that it’s the stage is on — it’s in the NFL. But when I was in Little League, man, I used to have some catches now. For real, bro. So it felt like I was going back to those days a little bit.”