why would he need to land the drop?
I think the most interesting thing about this singular place, in the way he approached it, is that it forces a line, with the drop being the concluding trick. Recall that around 2000 and well before there was an certain inch that needed to be scratched by most filmed lines; if it happened that at the end of the line the board was being ridden tail fowards the rider would often bring the nose back around with a pop shuv-it or varial variation. I can think of Stevie Williams as an example on multiple occasions. E.g.
JJ's line here pleases me because he completes a full 360 rotation with the first two tricks (180; then, fakie fs flip) the only possible way to complete this cycle would be accomplished not by bringing the nose of the board back around, but instead by bringing his own nose around full circle through the somersault upon hitting the ground. 360 degrees on the y-axis followed by the same rotation on the x-axis.