Special teams coach still agitated by Jets’ defeat to Pats
Three days did nothing to suppress Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer’s raw emotions.
Fielding questions for the first time since the Jets allowed the tiebreaking 84-yard touchdown return to Marcus Jones with five seconds remaining Sunday in a 10-3 loss to the Patriots, Boyer still was agitated by the stunning finish.
“I feel terrible about how it happened,” Boyer said after practice Wednesday. “These guys have played their butts off all year. For that to happen specifically at that time is inexcusable, and it’s 100 percent on me.”
Boyer declined to say if Braden Mann was supposed to punt the ball out of bounds to help get the game to overtime. He also was tightlipped on whether the officials missed a blockin-the-back penalty against the Patriots that would’ve taken the touchdown off the scoreboard and forced a 44-yard field goal attempt “because I’ll get fined.”
“It doesn’t matter where that ball is kicked,” Boyer said. “We have to cover it. … When the chips are down ... our group has got to come through in the clutch.”
Boyer knew the punt coverage was in trouble “right away” because “they had guys outside of our guys.”
“The whole team fought and scratched and clawed,” Boyer said. “To come down to that, I feel for all these guys.”
It looked as if the Jets were setting up a laterals-based miracle return on the ensuing kickoff, but an indecisive Elijah Moore stepped out of bounds after time expired.
“The last two plays I’m not happy with at all,” Boyer said. “I’m on fire about that to be honest with you.”
CB Sauce Gardner (calf ) appeared on the injury report Wednesday as limited in practice after he said “somebody fell on me,” during the loss Sunday. No reason for alarm.
“I’m going to be playing Sunday and practicing [Thursday] if they let me,” Gardner told The Post. “I could’ve practiced today, too.”
Gardner created a social media stir this week when he “liked” a tweet from Cowboys defensive back Jourdan Lewis aimed at Zach Wilson: “You don’t owe your defense ???? ” Lewis’ tweet was over the top of a clip of Wilson missing an easy throw.
Gardner quickly removed the “like” and ex
plained to his followers that it was an accident brought to his attention by the reaction.
“It’s still got me feeling kind of bad,” Gardner said in the locker room. “I didn’t mean to do that. … I’ll just be scrolling and my finger hits the button. I made a mistake and liked another tweet that didn’t have anything to do with football.
“The person whose tweet [criticizing Wilson] I liked is my boy, so I called him when I was getting treatment and said, ‘I made a mistake.’ He’s like, ‘You have to delete that.’ I’m happy it’s no big deal because it wasn’t supposed to be.”
The outlook for Sunday is optimistic for receiver Corey Davis — who was a full practice participant after missing the last three games with a knee injury — and right guard Nate Herbig (shin). Herbig remains limited but the Jets “feel really good” about his chance of playing.