If it wasn’t for Marcus Maye’s performance against the Steelers on Sunday, the Jets’ 16-10 win could’ve very well been a loss.
Maye made two huge plays with an interception in the endzone and a pass defense that could’ve resulted in a game-winning touchdown for Pittsburgh. For Maye’s effort, he is Jets Wire’s player of the game for Week 16 of the regular season.
Maye played a huge part in this victory with the two plays mentioned above. On the interception, the Steelers were inside the red zone, but Hodges decided to loft a ball into the endzone and Maye came sprinting over to make a leaping catch to keep Pittsburgh off the board.
As for the pass defense, that came on the Steelers’ final drive. Pittsburgh needed a touchdown to tie the game and James Washington had one-on-one coverage with Maye, who was able to bat the ball away to prevent the touchdown to secure the win.
The third-year free safety has finally put together a healthy season after an injury-riddled 2018 campaign. Maye has played well alongside Jamal Adams with 58 total tackles, seven pass defenses and one interception.
With Maye and Adams, the Jets have one of the best safety duos in the league. They both find ways to make big plays and are cornerstone pieces for New York’s future.