Jordan Whitehead had recorded three interceptions entering Sunday Night Football, and all three came in one night on SNF earlier this season. So, of course, he had to show out on SNF again.
As Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Alex O’Connell tried to fire a ball to star wideout Davante Adams near the line to gain on 2nd-and-11 late in the first quarter, Whitehead undercut the route, dove toward the low throw and picked it off — setting up a New York Jets field goal to take a 9-3 lead.
Whitehead, who attended Central Valley High School in Monaca, Pa., starred at Pitt in the late 2010s and now plays safety for the Jets, has a career-high for interceptions midway through his sixth NFL campaign.
Through nearly a half, Whitehead has recorded two tackles (one solo) and an interception as the Jets have held the Raiders to just three points.
Whitehead is in his second year with the Jets, signing a 2-year deal with New York last offseason, and he’s racked up 45 tackles (33 solo), three tackles for loss, four interceptions and eight pass breakups as part of the Jets’ strong secondary.
In four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he racked up 292 tackles (222 solo), 22 tackles for loss, two sacks, forced fumbles and recoveries, five interceptions and 25 passes defended in 59 games, starting 55 games.
The hard-hitting safety played an integral role on Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-winning squad in 2021, and now he plays an integral role in a Jets secondary with high expectations.
Whitehead, originally a four-star recruit at Pitt out of Central Valley High School in Monaca, Pa., recorded 235 tackles (162 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack, three interceptions, 12 passes defended and two defensive touchdowns in just 31 games at Pitt between 2015-17.
He was originally selected by the Buccaneers with a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
He also got beat on the first TD of the game