EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Move over Odell Beckham Jr., Garrett Wilson might have snatched your spot among the NFL’s greatest catches.
Wilson made a dazzling 26-yard go-ahead touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter and the New York Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night.
“I just kind of lobbed one up there and he made an unbelievable catch,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “That was a huge play. ... That’s a game-changing play.”
Rodgers had three touchdown passes, including another earlier one-handed score by Wilson and a 37-yard throw to recently acquired Davante Adams, and the Jets (3-6) won for the first time in four games under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
With the Jets trailing 10-7 and facing third-and-19 from the Texans 26, Rodgers tossed the ball up toward Wilson in the end zone. The star wide receiver jumped and reached up with his right hand with both legs spread in in the air — looking like the Michael Jordan “Jumpman” logo.
The play was initially called an incomplete pass, but Ulbrich challenged.
“Oh, my goodness,” Ulbrich said. “I mean, I was talking to the ref when they were reviewing it. I was like, ’Just for the sake of posterity, you have to say that’s in just so it goes down in history.” A video replay review confirmed that Wilson’s shin was down in the end zone and a touchdown was called to give the Jets a 14-10 lead with 12:54 left.
It sent the fans at MetLife Stadium into a frenzy after they had little to cheer for until that point.
Wilson’s catch was reminiscent of former Giants great Beckham’s one-handed grab against Dallas in 2014.