Woody Johnson shared a video of a mesmerizing Zach Wilson-to-Elijah Moore pass from OTAs that previously was only seen in photo form.
During a New York Jets OTAs practice on June 8, the Jets’ beat sent a jolt of excitement throughout the Twitter world with their collective reporting of a marvelous play that perfectly resembled the idealistic moment that fans are likely watching on repeat in their dreams.
Zach Wilson delivers a beauty down the sideline to Elijah Moore, outside shoulder, one on one vs. Bryce Hall. Not terrible coverage, but the separation and placement was just enough at the end. #Jets
— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) June 8, 2021
Zach Wilson to Elijah Moore, outside shoulder, one-on-one down the sideline, just enough separation to go along with precise ball placement – can one claim to be a Jets fan if they do not salivate at the thought of such a highlight?
To boot, the fact that second-year cornerback Bryce Hall seemingly had tight coverage only sweetens the deal. It all reads like a classic iron-sharpens-iron practice play in which both the offense and the defense perform well on the same rep.
Fans spent a few hours visualizing that moment in their heads as if they were listening to Bob Wischusen call it on the radio during the car ride home from work. Such is the nature of consuming NFL practice coverage through the limits of 280-character tweets.
By the late afternoon, the Jets’ Twitter account responded to the hype by releasing an absolutely dazzling series of shots that featured Moore making a marvelous diving catch behind the tight coverage of Hall – perfectly matching the reporters’ description of the Wilson-to-Moore connection that set Twitter ablaze earlier in the day.
ElijahMooreSHEESH1.jpeg
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ElijahMooreSHEESH3.jpeg pic.twitter.com/kT3DxjxXuq— New York Jets (@nyjets) June 8, 2021
The play had progressed from a popular collection of written tweets to an iconic series of photos that grace Twitter banners and desktop backgrounds all over the New York metropolitan area.
However, the Jets had never released a video of the play, leaving fans to continue picturing the throw-and-catch in their imaginations.
That is, until now – courtesy of team owner Woody Johnson.
On the morning of June 22, Johnson dug his hand into the vault of treasured Jets practice footage and yanked out the Wilson-to-Moore deep bomb for the entire planet to see.
The play can be seen after the 14-second mark of this video shared by Johnson’s Twitter account.
A preview of @e_moore03 on the field this fall pic.twitter.com/xcZrK3gxU9
— Woody Johnson (@woodyjohnson4) July 22, 2021
Rookie cornerback Jason Pinnock partially blocks the view of the play, but you can still grasp the accuracy of the pass (the tight spiral also stands out), the tightness of Hall’s coverage, and the difficulty of Moore’s catch.
The Jets’ rookies arrived in Florham Park for training camp on July 20. Veterans are slated to arrive on July 27, and the team’s first on-field practice is scheduled for July 28.
Here is a complete look at the Jets’ practice schedule for the month of August, including the dates of practices that are open to fans.
The New York Jets 2021 training camp/preseason schedule. #NYJets @nyjetscommenter 🚨https://t.co/OFxocWjG6o pic.twitter.com/Usl3htBmpq
— Jets X-Factor (@jetsxfactor) July 14, 2021
Moore recently signed his rookie contract, as did Alijah Vera-Tucker. Wilson remains the team’s only unsigned rookie.
