New York Jets punter Steve Weatherford said following the New York Jets' 9-0 loss to Green Bay that the unsuccessful fake punt in the first quarter was his decision.
"It would have been a good decision had it been fourth-and-nine, but that’s my fault. I made the decision to try
to make the play, but it didn’t work out for the team. We’re a team that’s willing to go out there and lay it on the
line, but it just didn’t work out today," Weatherford said. "It’s a situation where I don’t have the green light, but if I do it, he’s not going to be mad if I get it. It has workedout in the past. It worked out in Oakland, it worked out in Miami, (but) today, it didn’t. It could have been a huge swing for us in the game, but obviously we came up about a half-yard short."
Weatherford tried to run for a first down on fourth-and-18. He was initially given the first down, but the Packers challenged the play and it was ruled that he had come up about a half-yard short. The Packers converted the failed fake into a Mason Crosby field goal.
"I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get a big swing in the game. I came up a little bit short," Weatherford said.
Jets coach Rex Ryan said Weatherford has the green light to make that play, but that he probably did not realize how far he had to run for the first down.
This was something that Steve did on his own. I don’t think he realized we’d just been sacked. We told him before that it needed to be a manageable situation, not fourth-and-20 or whatever it was. As he was running, I was trying to make sure he knew where the first down marker was. I don’t think he was clear on that," Ryan said. "He does it on his own. He’s a great athlete. He did it last year against Miami, but in that situation, it probably would have been wiser to punt."