Jets Country

Jets' Michael Carter Continues to Show Why He's a 'Special Talent'

Carter rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in his NFL career on Sunday, helping lead the Jets to a victory over Jacksonville.

Max Goodman

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Returning from an ankle injury in Week 15, Jets running back Michael Carter had one of the quietest performances of his entire rookie season. 

Carter was held by the Dolphins to just 18 rushing yards on eight carries, his lowest output on the ground since his professional debut back in Week 1.

That one discouraging afternoon at the office didn't mean the fourth-rounder was going to fade into irrelevance as the regular season came to a close, though. 

Against the Jaguars on Sunday, one week after being held down by Miami, Carter erupted for 118 rushing yards on 16 carries, eclipsing 100 yards on the ground for the first time in his career. 

In fact, Carter's career day featured the fifth-most rushing yards by a rookie in Jets franchise history.

Carter's explosion, along with a historic day on the ground from quarterback Zach Wilson, resulted in 273 total rushing yards for those in green and white, the most by any team in a single game across the NFL this season.

"It was awesome," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said after the game. "Michael Carter, I mean he’s such a special talent. The first tackler never brings him down. If the O-line blocks it for five, he’s finding a way to get eight, nine, and 10."

Carter had six runs of eight-plus yards in the 26-21 win over Jacksonville. He capped off the best performance of his rookie year with a 38-yard burst right up the gut, helping New York eat some valuable time off the clock before a field goal late in the fourth quarter. 

After the game, Carter gave a special shout-out to New York's offensive line, saying they played a pivotal role in the Jets' overpowering performance.  

"They were just moving people out of the way," he said. "Between the offensive line and the receivers blocking, we didn't really have to do all that much. We just had to make our guys miss at the second level."

As Saleh alluded to, Carter has flexed his elite ability to make defenders miss this season, constantly eluding defenders when out in space or making something out of nothing, avoiding losses deep behind the line of scrimmage. Mix that ability to break tackles with his speed and toughness and there's a reason why Carter is leading the Jets with 882 yards from scrimmage this season. 

"His work ethic every day, coming into the building, it's an A-plus," veteran tackle Morgan Moses said on Wednesday. "He just wants to get better, he's a player that wants to win. Nobody doubts his toughness, his running ability, you see it on Sundays, his low center of gravity, his change in direction. All those things that you want as a running back, he has."

Carter and the Jets won't run for 273 yards every week, but in a rebuilding year—and the first season with Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in Florham Park—Carter's flashes are incredibly promising. It's early, but it looks like this North Carolina product was an absolute steal, coming off the board 107th overall this past spring.

With Carter, quarterback Zach Wilson and wideout Elijah Moore, this 2021 NFL draft class has produced a trio of playmakers for the Jets that are poised to play an integral role in leading this team back to postseason contention. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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