With the Jets trailing in the fourth quarter and their season on the line, wide receiver Garrett Wilson delivered a jaw-dropping one-handed touchdown catch, leading the New York Jets to a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium. The 26-yard grab, his second touchdown of the game, drew comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr.’s legendary one-handed catch for the Giants a decade earlier in the same stadium.
The acrobatic touchdown, which put the Jets up 14-10, was the centerpiece of a euphoric postgame locker room. Wilson, midair with his legs extended, stretched his right hand to snatch Aaron Rodgers’ third-and-21 pass in front of Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter. “He looked like Jordan out there,” defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said, likening Wilson’s pose to the Jumpman logo. Initially ruled incomplete due to one foot being down, a successful Jets challenge confirmed that Wilson’s left shin touched inbounds, sealing the score.
“Oh my goodness,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “I told the ref, ‘You’ve got to let this one stand for the history books.’ It could rival Odell’s catch. Amazing.”
After the game, wide receiver Davante Adams joked with Wilson about the resemblance to the Jordan brand logo, saying, “He might have to switch over to Jumpman with me. I’m talking to people about it. Mike might not let me say it, but that was an incredible catch.”
Beyond the highlight reel, Wilson’s play was crucial, snapping a five-game losing streak for the Jets (3-6) and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive. Wilson finished with nine catches for 90 yards, including a 21-yard one-handed touchdown earlier in the game. “When I made the second one, I thought, ‘Now, this has to count!’” Wilson said. “When it stood, I was like, ‘OK, now you can hype me up.’”
The Jets’ comeback was led by Rodgers, who overcame a rough first half in which he threw for only 32 yards. Rodgers bounced back with three touchdowns, the last of which was a 37-yard pass to Adams that extended the Jets’ lead to 21-10. “I was terrible in the first half,” Rodgers admitted, acknowledging a fumble by rookie Malachi Corley, who lost the ball just before the end zone on his first NFL carry. Ulbrich addressed Corley’s mistake, saying, “I’m frustrated, but it’s a lesson he’ll remember 10 years from now.”
For Wilson, who was 14 when Beckham made his famous catch, the play felt like a throwback to childhood memories. “Man, to be in that conversation is incredible. I’m blessed,” he said.
The Jets, reinvigorated after a challenging first half, now look to build on this turning-point win, with Wilson’s catch a moment to savor and perhaps a launchpad for the rest of their season.
