Garrett Wilson turned his sensational catches into AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The Jets wide receiver earned that recognition on Wednesday after hauling in nine catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-13 win over the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium in Week 9.
But the statline doesn’t tell the full story.
Both of Wilson’s touchdowns came on highlight-worthy plays with high degrees of difficulty.
He scored the first by making a one-handed catch on the run and scampering into the end zone from 21 yards out.
The second was even more impressive, as Wilson leaped in the end zone, fully extended his right arm and made another one-handed grab, somehow managing to stay in bounds for a 26-yard score on 3rd and 19.
The catch had a completion probability of just 13.6%, according to Next Gen Stats.
“I was like, I hope that one counts,” Wilson said afterward. “I hope that’s not one of those that I have to be like, ‘What if?’ But I’m glad it did.”
Wilson’s form on that touchdown earned comparisons to the Air Jordan logo — and sparked debates about how it stacks up against Odell Beckham Jr.’s instant-classic one-handed catch with the Giants at MetLife Stadium a decade ago.
“I felt like I put it in a decent spot, but yeah, I didn’t do a whole lot when it comes down to it,” Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “I just kind of lobbed one up there. He made an unbelievable catch.”
The Offensive Player of the Week honor is the first for the 24-year-old Wilson, a former first-round pick in his third NFL season.
Wilson eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in both of his first two seasons and, after a slow start to this one, leads the NFL with 60 catches.
He has 663 receiving yards and five touchdowns through nine games this year.
Wilson boasts at least eight catches in three of his last five games and at least 90 receiving yards in four of them. He has seemed to benefit from the addition of Davante Adams, a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver whose arrival via trade three weeks ago added another star defenses have to account for.
In the NFC, former Giants running back Saquon Barkley, now of the Philadelphia Eagles, won his third Offensive Player of the Week award of the season.
Barkley rushed for 159 yards, added 40 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. He dropped jaws with a no-look hurdle with his back to the defender that earned a similar level of hype as Wilson’s catch.
