49ers’ Jake Moody is NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

SANTA CLARA — Jake Moody became the first 49ers player to be named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week since Week 18 of the 2021 season Wednesday after going 6-for-6 on field goal attempts in a season-opening win over the New York Jets.

A  2023 third-round draft pick out of Michigan, Moody converted from distances of 46, 51, 31, 53, 23 and 42 yards in a 32-19 victory at Levi’s Stadium. Moody also kicked two extra points following 49ers touchdowns and had three touchbacks on kickoffs to go along with three returns for 25.7 yards allowed by the Jets.

The last 49ers special teams player to be so honored was Moody’s predecessor Robbie Gould, who had two field goals including a 24-yard game-winner in overtime of a 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Rams that put the 49ers in the playoffs.

Moody joined Gould (2017 against Tennessee), Jeff Wilkins (1996 against Atlanta) and Ray Wersching (1983 against New Orleans) as 49ers kickers to make six field goals in a game. He is the first to have two field goals of 50-plus yards included among the six.

Moody had mixed success as a rookie, showing a stronger leg than Gould but missing some crucial kicks in regular-season losses to Cleveland and Minnesota.

Coach Kyle Shanahan believes the rough times only made Moody better.

“Just being able to get through his rookie year, being a draft pick and everything, having to replace a guy like Robbie, all eyes are on him to start,” Shanahan said in a conference call with local writers Tuesday. “Going from first misses in the preseason through the miss in Cleveland, those are such a big deal when you haven’t done it before.

“But every time he got more eyes on him and people were waiting for him to fail, he always rebounded and got through that . . . he went through a ton on his first year. I forget that he is only a second-year player. He handles himself very well and carries himself like a true veteran now.”

The NFC Offensive Player of the Week went to Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley, with Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson winning the Defensive Player of the Week.