In a game where every inch matters, the Jets nearly had a highlight-reel touchdown on special teams-but instead, had to settle for a golden opportunity just shy of the goal line. It all unfolded on a chaotic punt deep in Falcons territory, and while the Jets didn’t get the six points right away, the sequence was a clinic in how NFL rules shape outcomes in ways that aren’t always obvious at first glance.
Here’s what happened: Falcons returner Jamal Agnew signaled for a fair catch deep near his own end zone, with Jets special teamer Kene Nwangwu in close proximity. But Agnew couldn’t secure the ball-it glanced off him and hit the turf. That’s when Jets rookie Quan’tez Stiggers, wearing #37, made a heads-up play, pouncing on the loose ball at the 2-yard line and sliding into the end zone.
The Jets thought they had themselves a touchdown. The crowd certainly did.
But the officials ruled it down at the 2, and after a quick replay assist, the call stood. So why wasn’t it a touchdown?
Let’s break it down.
In the NFL, once a punt crosses the line of scrimmage, it’s still considered a “kick” until someone gains possession or the play is otherwise ruled dead. That distinction is key.
The kicking team-in this case, the Jets-can’t advance a recovered punt unless the receiving team first touches it, which Agnew did. But even then, the rules get more specific.
Because Agnew muffed the catch attempt (meaning he touched the ball but never secured it), it became a live ball. That made it fair game for either team to recover.
Stiggers did just that, but under NFL rules, when the kicking team recovers a muffed punt downfield, the ball is dead the moment they establish possession. And that’s the crucial part-where possession is established.
Possession isn’t just about falling on the ball. It requires three elements: control of the ball, two feet (or another body part besides the hands) in bounds, and maintaining control long enough to perform an act common to the game.
In Stiggers’ case, he secured the ball while sliding at the 2-yard line. That’s where possession was officially established.
His momentum carried him into the end zone, but by rule, the play was already dead. No touchdown.
If Stiggers had waited for the ball to roll into the end zone before securing it, then yes, it could’ve been a touchdown. But because he gained possession at the 2, that’s where the play stopped.
Now, if this had been a fumble instead of a muffed punt-say, Agnew caught the ball cleanly and then lost it-the Jets would’ve had the green light to advance the recovery. But a muffed punt is still treated as a kick, and the rules around advancing kicks are much stricter.
The officials-field judge Jason Ledet and back judge Jimmy Russell-were right on top of it, and the replay assist confirmed the call. No controversy here, just a nuanced rule playing out in real time.
One other wrinkle worth addressing: fair catch interference. Agnew had signaled for a fair catch, which means he’s entitled to an unimpeded opportunity to field the ball.
Nwangwu was close, but didn’t make contact or obstruct Agnew’s path to the ball. And in the NFL, there’s no “halo rule” requiring a one-yard cushion.
Once Agnew muffed the punt and the ball hit the ground, any interference concerns were off the table. No flag, no foul.
Had there been interference-say, if Nwangwu had bumped Agnew before the ball arrived-the Jets’ recovery would’ve been wiped out. The Falcons would’ve been awarded the ball at the spot of the foul, and if contact occurred before the ball got there, 15 yards would’ve been tacked on. But that wasn’t the case here.
In the end, the Jets didn’t get the touchdown on the special teams play-but they didn’t waste the opportunity. They punched it in on the very next snap, cashing in on the field position their coverage unit had earned.
It’s the kind of play that won’t show up on highlight reels for the score, but it’s a perfect example of why attention to detail-and a deep understanding of the rulebook-matters just as much as speed and instinct.