DENVER (AP) For once, Nathaniel Hackett enjoyed Russell Wilson’s mistakes and enjoyed the boos pouring from the stands in Denver.
The former Broncos coach and current Jets offensive coordinator was showered with hugs and handshakes from New York players and staff on Sunday after beating the Broncos 31-21 in his long-awaited return.
They won behind Breece Hall’s 72-yard touchdown run and Bryce Hall’s 39-yard scoop and score play after Quincy Williams’ second sack of the day, but it was Hackett who got the game ball after that.
“You know, it’s good to get a win in the league against anyone,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “But obviously it was a special game for Huck, having been here a year ago. We put over 400 yards on them, scored 31 points.
Hackett’s return seemed like a grudge match after Payton and his staff criticized him for the job they did last year in Denver, where he went 4-11 and was fired, particularly the way he handled Wilson during the QB’s dismal 2022 season.
“It was good, to be honest. “Mostly for Coach Hackett, I wasn’t really worried about myself today,” said Bryce Hall, whose long touchdown run on the Jets’ second snap of the second half gave them the lead for good. “He stayed calm Humble and respectful. So we wanted to come in and get the win for him today and we did.
“Better coach, better team, win.”
The Jets (2-3) overcame a sloppy, scrappy first half to snap a three-game skid and hand the Broncos (1-4) their third home loss in three tries under Payton, who drew widespread criticism for criticizing Hackett and also throwing shade at the Jets in Interview with USA Today in July.
Payton avoided questions about the uproar all week and again in his brief postgame news conference.
“It’s a fair question, but I think we actually addressed that the next day. Well, thank you guys,” Payton said before leaving the stage.
After the game, the Jets took their own swipe at Payton in a post on
Although Wilson has mostly returned to form under Payton’s tutelage, the Broncos have many of the same problems that Payton criticized Hackett for, and in the second half, the Birds roared as loudly as they did last year.
The Broncos went three-and-out on four of their first five drives after halftime and the other possession led to a missed fumble on the second snap.
Wilson then drove the Broncos to a touchdown and a two-point conversion to make the score 24-21 late in the fourth quarter. Patrick Surtain’s second interception of Zach Wilson’s pass to Jarrett Wilson gave the ball back to the Broncos at the 3 with 2:14 left.
“Big guys have to make big plays,” Surtain said, adding that he felt the Broncos “had a tremendous amount of momentum going into this trip.”
The Broncos were moving into field goal range when Williams collected his second sack. The ball exploded toward the Jets sideline and Bryce Hall left the receiver he was covering, picked up the rebound and sealed it with his return for a touchdown.
A frustrated Payton, who watched his offense produce a net loss of 18 yards on its first five drives of the second half, angrily addressed the quarterback as Wilson retreated to the sideline, having gone 20 of 31 for 196 yards and two TDs with four sacks.
Russell Wilson is now 5-14 as a quarterback in Denver after posting a 104-53-1 mark in Seattle.
Hall ran for 177 yards on 22 carries Sunday, which equates to 8 yards per carry. It was almost a year ago when Breece Hall’s promising rookie season ended on this very field when he fractured his left kneecap after rushing for a 62-yard score.
Zach Wilson, making his fourth straight start in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, was 19 of 26 for 199 yards and an interception.
He was also the happiest for Hackett.
“You could see the emotion on his face a little bit,” Wilson said. “He was trying not to show it, but we all gave him a big hug. We told him we loved him and we were grateful to have him. Obviously the way things went for him last year was tough. So you know it means a lot.”
Injuries
Jets: RT Alijah Vera-Tucker left with a calf injury in the second half. “It’s definitely worrying,” Saleh said. When asked if the injury was to the Achilles tendon, Saleh said the Jets needed to wait for test results. Vera-Tucker was lost last season in Denver when he tore his triceps tendon.
Broncos: NT DJ Jones injured his knee in the second quarter.
the next
Jets: Play the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.
Broncos: Visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
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