CINCINNATI — Rex Ryan said he was worried when he heard Steve Weatherford wouldn’t be able to punt yesterday thanks to an irregular heartbeat.
“I heard that Jay [Feely] was going to have to punt,” Ryan said, “and it about gave me [an irregular heartbeat] as well.”
Just minutes before the game, the Jets learned that Weatherford was out, and that Feely would have to handle the punting duties.
Feely, who kicked for the Falcons, Giants and Dolphins prior to joining the Jets during the 2008-09 season, had never punted in an NFL game before.
“But you do what you’ve got to do for your team,” Feely said after the Jets’ 24-14 wild-card win.
Feely did plenty to help the Jets advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Punting for the first time in his nine-year career, Feely punted seven times yesterday, averaging 28.1 yards. Is that a tremendous average? No. But it wasn’t disastrous. His longest punt of the day went 37 yards.
There were also several times Feely punted spectacularly, pinning the Bengals at their 11-yard line, at their 6-yard line and at their 12-yard line.
“I think I’m bad enough that I’m a good pooch punter,” he said.
Feely also kicked a 20-yard field goal, nailed three extra points and booted five kickoffs.
“We call him ‘Slash,’ ” linebacker Bart Scott said, referring to the versatile former Steeler Kordell Stewart. ” ‘Cause he does it all. Field goals, kickoffs.”
Think punting and kicking are pretty much the same? No big deal? Said Weatherford: “You go out there, that’s like asking a linebacker to go play quarterback. Yeah, he’s still kicking the ball, but it’s totally different. You’ve got to catch the ball and drop it to yourself.”
Weatherford said he has had “a non-life-threatening heart condition since I was in high school,” and before yesterday’s game his heart rate was up and he felt light-headed.
He called it “the most inopportune time for it to happen.”
Weatherford actually ripped his IV out at one point, so determined to play. But he’ll have to settle for punting next weekend instead. He said he felt okay and would be able to go.
“I’m hoping [Weatherford’s] OK,” Ryan said. “Maybe it was just a little anxiety. Who knows?”
When Feely, who only punted once even in college, found out right before yesterday’s game he’d be punting, he said, “Oh crap,” and hit a few practice ones.
Said Ryan: “I had no idea he could punt like that.”
Nobody did. — Additional reporting by
Mark Cannizzaro