Garrett Wilson may have saved the Jets' season with a catch of the year candidate

Nearly ten years after former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made his iconic grab, the New York Jets have submitted their own contender for the best one-handed catch at MetLife Stadium.

A Jets campaign that began with Super Bowl aspirations had plunged into the darkness over the first half of the 2024 season. New York entered their Week 9 matchup against the Houston Texans with a 2-6 record despite having a future Hall of Fame quarterback, a supposedly elite defense and some of the brightest young skill position players in the league. And for much of Thursday night, it looked like things would only get worse: The game had gone so poorly in the first half that fans were wearing brown paper bags on their heads and chanting “sell the team.”

And then, when the team needed it most, some of that talent we always knew was there shone through.

Garrett Wilson brought Jets to life with remarkable one-handed catch

With New York trailing, 10-7, early in the fourth quarter, Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson reminded the fans in attendance why there was so much excitement around this team to begin with.

Facing a third-and-19 from just outside the red zone, Rodgers lofted a prayer to Wilson in the back of the end zone. Wilson didn't appear to have much of a chance to make the catch with Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter in tight coverage, but he reached his right hand in the air to snag the ball before barely landing his right shin inbounds to make the play count.

The play comes just days after Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens saw his acrobatic touchdown catch ruled out of bounds for tapping the same foot inbounds twice rather than getting both feet down. The same foot twice wasn't good enough for Pickens, but one foot and one shin was all Wilson needed to secure his place in highlight reels for years to come.

This spectacular play was surrounded by plenty of dysfunction from New York. The Jets needed to be bailed out by an illegal contact penalty on a 4th-and-1 a couple plays prior. The play before the touchdown saw Rodgers put together a nifty 13-yard scramble, only for it to be called back due to a holding penalty by rookie offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.

The Jets defense also did their best to give the game away. On Houston's second drive, the Jets allowed the Texans to keep possession after a roughing the kicker penalty on a fourth-and-21 punt. New York also gave up another first down on a fourth-and-22 after Wilson's touchdown due unnecessary roughness on a field goal attempt.

Fortunately for New York, the Texans just wanted to lose the game more than the Jets did, and Wilson was more than happy to oblige.