Robert Saleh wants Jets to move on from improbable victory
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh watches as his team plays against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard) Credit: AP/David Richard
The euphoria from their miraculous win has worn off for the Jets. They went back to work in a far better mood than so many other Mondays in their history, but Robert Saleh’s message to them was it’s time to move on.
The Jets made franchise history in their improbable 31-30 comeback victory in Cleveland. They had never erased a 13-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation to win a game since the NFL-AFL merger. They also became the first team in 21 years to do that.
Saleh was proud of them for fighting the way they did to battle back from 30-17 down with 1:55 left in the game, but he also used it as a teaching opportunity for his young team.
“I’ve been part of some crazy, crazy games,” Saleh said during a Zoom call on Monday. “You’re just never surprised with what this league is going to give you. If you put your head down or take a deep breath for one second, it can kick you in the rear. Obviously, the jubilation, everyone’s excited, but it’s time to move on.”
The real growth comes if the Jets can do it again — no, not exactly the same way.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley said that just as losing is contagious, winning is, too, and the Jets hope this type of emotional game can be the springboard to putting some wins together. They will face the reigning AFC champion Bengals on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“The toughest thing to do in this league, especially when you haven’t had a lot of success, is to learn how to deal with success and move to the next page,” Saleh said. “When you’re trying to build a winning culture, a winning organization, the sense of urgency to get up and do your job and get better and do all the things that are needed to get done so you can repeat it week in and week out, that’s always going to be the challenge, especially with the young roster.
“I think we got the right guys and I think we got the right mindset to continue to build on it. We just got to go show it to ourselves that we can stack up multiple days and win in multiple weeks.”
The victory was as unimaginable as you can imagine.
The Browns dominated the fourth quarter, and after Nick Chubb scored his third touchdown of the game to make it 30-17, all seemed lost for the Jets, who were out of timeouts. They were staring at an 0-2 start for the fourth straight year and more ridicule from the critics that has Saleh “taking receipts.”
Instead, the Jets got a 66-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Corey Davis, Justin Hardee recovered an onside kick, Flacco threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with 22 seconds to go and Ashtyn Davis picked off Jacoby Brissett to clinch the win. Incredible.
“That was a storybook ending to the game,” left tackle George Fant said. “Crazy.”
It will mean nothing if the Jets’ offense or defense fails to show up Sunday against a hungry Bengals team that is 0-2 and remembers what happened last year when they visited MetLife. Mike White led the Jets to a surprising victory.
This one was much more stunning. It gave the Jets confidence, but building something consistent and sustainable is their next goal.
“You got to learn how to win,” tight end Tyler Conklin said. “I think that’s something all teams have to do at some point, learn how to win games. I think yesterday was a step in the right direction to prove that to ourselves, that we’re never out of a game and that no matter what the situation is, we can win it.
“We went out there and proved [it]. Now just keep building on it.”
Defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers said it was important that the Jets got a win for Saleh after he defended his locker room and said he was taking receipts from people who “continually mock” the Jets.
“One-hundred percent,” Franklin-Myers said. “We all want to go out there for him, and after you make a statement like that, I fully support what he said. You got to stand on it after you say it. Props to him for being able to speak up and being confident, saying what he had to say. It’s on us, going out there and performing.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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