Redskins safety Jeron Johnson busted through against the Jets to record the team's first punt block since 2006 Sunday in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Darrel Young at first wanted to make sure the Jets weren't trying a fake with guys out of position.
Once he noticed that wasn't the case, he saw something different: New York had just 10 men on the field late in the fourth quarter Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
And with no timeouts and already backed up well within their own five-yard line, the Jets decided to go for the punt.
"I came out and I looked at the structure of the punt team, and I was like, 'Hey, they've got one guy short,'" Young said. "So I stood up and I was like 'Hey JJ [Jeron Johnson], shhh don't say anything, I'm gonna grab the tackle.'"
The Redskins, meanwhile, would go all in, pinching in both Ryan Grant and Quinton Dunbar – the jammers – to give them a man advantage.
Jeron Johnson would go around the end untouched to block the punt, and Rashad Ross would fall on it in the end zone for the special teams score.
It was the Redskins' first punt block for touchdown since 2006. It was also the last touchdown score in the Redskins 34-20 loss.
"The wing wasn't even out there. They had 10 players," Johnson said. "DY saw it and told me 'Go, go go.' I seen it, they snapped it and I just went unblocked off the edge."
Johnson said "it was just a mix up by them, and we were able to capitalize."
Check out these top photos from the Washington Redskins' 2015 Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets Oct. 18, 2015, at MetLife Stadium.
"I thought it would be able to give us a little juice, swing momentum and bring it home," Johnson said. "But we've just got to keep grinding every week."
While Johnson would ultimately get the block, it was Ross who was at the right place at the right time to get the touchdown.
"We've been practicing blocking the punt, this play, all week," Ross told Redskins.com "And I had a feeling I was going to end up being free, but I guess when they snapped, 20 was free, he got there before me, he ended up blocking, and I was right there just to scoop it up."
For a special teams unit that is showing improvement week over week, Young hopes this can be the start of a better trend.
"They had a plan and they stuck with it and did their job, so it's time for us to start being complimented on what we're doing positive," Young said. "We've just got to go back to the drawing board. We believe it, we understand the system, we just got to execute."
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