New York Jets punter Braden Mann was indeed the man in Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season.
The three-year pro from Texas A&M was named the AFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week after the Jets’ 31-30 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
1-for-1 passing, 17 yards
Four punts, 47.5 yard average
One VERY IMPORTANT ONSIDE KICKCongrats, @MannBraden!!
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 21, 2022
Mann converted four punts that averaged 47.5 yards, two of which landed inside the Browns’ 20-yard line.
He also completed the onside kick that allowed the Jets to have the game-winning drive.
The recovered onside kick by Justin Hardee is only the sixth in Jets history and the first since 1997.
It was also the Jets’ first successful onside kick in a victory since 1972.
He also showed his trickery with a 17-yard fourth-down pass to Jeff Smith, giving the Jets a first down on their 38-yard line.
With the Jets staring at a fourth-and-1 with time running out in the first quarter, Mann connected with Smith on an out route to keep their drive alive.
That pass made Mann only the fifth punter in Jets history to record a completion in a regular season game.
The play was also their first successful fake punt since 2017 and the third-longest completion by any Jets punter.
A Quick Glance At Mann’s Football Career
Mann was selected by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 190 spots after top overall pick Joe Burrow.
He led the league in punts that year and also made a game-saving open-field tackle on Nsimba Webster.
As of Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season, he has 133 punts for 5,915 punt yards.
He also has 37 punts that went inside the 20-yard line.
In college, Mann was the Ray Guy Award recipient and a unanimous All-American in 2018.
He was also a First-Team All-SEC member twice for the Aggies.
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