The New York Jets’ dominant offensive and defensive showings obviously got the most attention in their Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans, and deservingly so.

However, one of their biggest advantages remains on special teams, an area where they had a historic season in 2025.

After one week, they seem to be on track to do it again.

Jets’ special teams impact

In Week 1, the Jets led the NFL in special teams EPA (Expected Points Added) at +8.6—an impressive clip.

It was a strong all-around outing for the unit, and for the most part, the Jets’ kicking game, their biggest special teams question mark, held up. While Jason Sanders badly missed a 54-yard field goal attempt, he rebounded by converting his three other field goals, including makes from 51 and 52.

Two players in particular, though, stood out for their roles in New York’s league-best special teams performance: Qwan’tez Stiggers and Marcelino McCrary-Ball.

Stiggers made multiple impressive plays in punt coverage, including downing a punt at Tennessee’s two-yard line. On another punt, with All-Pro punt returner Chimere Dike waiting to field the ball, Stiggers drove the Titans’ D’Ernest Johnson into Dike, preventing the All-Pro returner from fielding the punt and buying the Jets extra yards of field position.

McCrary-Ball delivered the biggest special teams highlight of the day.

On a Tennessee kickoff return towards the end of the first half, McCrary-Ball got downfield in kick coverage and punched the football loose, and Stiggers was there to recover it.

This summer, McCrary-Ball and Stiggers were both viewed as roster-bubble players, especially the former. While they have limited roles on defense, plays like the ones they made on Sunday make it easy to see why they earned a roster spot.

It’s important for teams not to commit too many roster spots to pure special teamers, but when you find valuable players in that phase like McCrary-Ball and Stiggers, retaining them makes sense.

In the NFL, it is very difficult to sustain special teams success year after year. There are multiple reasons behind that. First off, many of the key cogs on the unit are end-of-the-roster players who end up elsewhere for the following season. Secondly, a lot of special teams success can be attributed to luck.

Unlike offense and defense, there isn’t as clear a strategy or level of schematics behind it, so success isn’t as easily predictable. We will see how the year progresses, but to begin the season, the Jets’ special teams unit is still the best in the league, per EPA.

If that rate continues, Jets special teams coordinator Chris Banjo should undoubtedly receive head coach interviews for the 2027 coaching cycle.