Jets defensive back Brandin Echols missed the Jets’ first meeting with the Dolphins due to injury, so in practice this week, it was about communication and emphasizing what Miami was capable of on offense.
Communication and that knowledge was what enabled Echols to get his first career NFL interception and his first touchdown on Sunday, as he stepped in front of tight end Hunter Long and picked off Tua Tagovailoa, taking it back 20 yards to the house to tie the game at 24-24 midway through the fourth quarter.
“Before the snap, Michael Carter saw something and called it to the defense, and I trusted him,” Echols said. “I knew kind of by the way they lined up they might come my way, so that’s what enabled me to get the pick.”
It was Echols’ first pick-six since JUCO, as he had just one INT in two years at Kentucky after transferring in from Northwest Mississippi Community College. He was a receiver before moving solely to defensive back in 2018 in junior college, so the hands were there, but as exciting as it was to make his first NFL grab, he knew it had to be a short-lived celebration.
“It was exciting, but I knew coming to the sideline, we had to go back out and try to do it again,” Echols said. “I was happy but I knew I had to flip the switch, try to go back out there and make another play.”
Earlier this season, head coach Robert Saleh talked about hoping Zach Wilson’s injury had a benefit, that being Wilson could see what the Jets’ offense should look like through his own eyes on the sidelines.
Related
In a similar vein, Echols believes his own injury – he missed three games due to a leg injury and just returned last week against the Saints – helped him learn as well.
“My game has grown, my confidence has grown, and I learned and understand different concepts,” Echols said. “Confidence is big for us, not going out there and panicking, and I’m glad it happened, because I can sit back and reflect and see what I needed to work on. I think that was a good thing.”
Through Sunday’s loss, Echols, who was the Jets’ sixth-round pick and is one of several rookies starting in the defensive backfield, has 48 tackles (including one for loss) this season, and his seven passes defensed are second on the team behind Bryce Hall.
And the one pick, which linebacker C.J. Mosley jocularly took some credit for.
“Before the game I told him we only had one lockdown corner,” Mosley smiled, but I see a lot of growth in him; he’s not a big talker, but he’s focused on his job, and you saw that today. He’s a very competitive player, and when he’s on the field, you can see it.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch