From beast mode to electrifying: Ranking Quincy Enunwa’s best New York Jets plays

Quincy Enunwa is no longer a New York Jets employee, but that does not mean we should forget about the great plays he made with the team.

Criminally underrated is a perfect tagline for former New York Jets weapon Quincy Enunwa. The Nebraska product—who proved the world wrong with his impressive 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the 2014 NFL combine—did just enough to make sure the radar targeted him prior to the biggest offseason of his life.

Mike Maccagnan’s decision to draft him in the sixth round proved to be his first professional reward. The four-year, $36 million ($20 million guaranteed) he signed prior to the 2018 campaign cemented his NFL status as legit. The kid’s star was on the rise.

Then we all suddenly woke up. What we saw was a white ceiling—a worthless alarm clock-driven view that slaps all of us humans back to reality.

Enunwa’s Jets career is complicated. As underrated as the man was is as deficient as he turned out to be in the end. Availability will forever remain the most important attribute to any football player’s future success and, unfortunately for beloved No. 81, playing football games was never in the cards.

Playing in just 41 games of a possible 96 (six seasons, not including 2020), Enunwa’s Jets career ends with a thud. The Jets’ release of the 28-year-old veteran who’s dealing with a career-threatening neck injury prompts emotions that include joy, frustration and regret.

With Quincy Enunwa gone, we take a look at the best plays of his New York Jets career.

11. Third-Down Grab vs. Detroit (2018)

One of the Enunwa career themes is his clutch ability. A larger moment usually brought out the best in the wide receiver who ran like a workhorse back.

In young Sam Darnold’s first professional game, Enunwa came up huge on a third-down scramble situation (reviewed up in the booth but the play stood as called).

10. Break-Tackle Party vs. Jacksonville (2018)

While Week 4 of the 2018 season was a disappointing experience for the Jets, Quincy Enunwa did everything in his power to overcome the frustration. Early in the fourth quarter, Enunwa broke off his route to help Darnold, who suddenly broke the pocket. Enunwa snagged the ball and broke 1,076 tackles (not exactly that man) en route to a phenomenal 42-yard catch and run.

9. Moving the Pile vs. Miami (2018)

Down seven late in the fourth meant young Darnold needed help. Enunwa was there to deliver with authority.

In 2018 with Jeremy Bates calling the shots, Enunwa’s screen game rose to an NFL-best level. Here in Miami, he showcased one of his more beastly screen scampers.

8. Sit, Turn and Go vs. Baltimore (2016)

Extremely simple yet surprising. Enunwa’s speed has forever been questioned by talent evaluators. In a 2016 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, Enunwa found a spot in the zone, snagged it, turned and ran to daylight.