Comeback win could set season’s tone
NEW YORK — Maybe Robert Saleh and the New York Jets were on to something.
A week ago, the coach made headlines when he boldly declared he and the team were “taking receipts” on all those who continuously mock the franchise. Things will change, he insisted, and they’ll be happy to “shove it down everyone’s throats” when it does.
Saleh’s squad then went to Cleveland and pulled off one of the NFL’S most stunning comebacks in decades. Down by 13 to the Browns on Sunday with 1:55 remaining, Joe Flacco and the Jets rallied to win, 31-30.
“Something crazy, right?” a beaming Saleh asked as he walked into his postgame news conference.
It sure was.
It was the first time a team overcame a deficit of at least 13 points inside the final two minutes of regulation to win since Chicago overcame a 14-point deficit to also beat Cleveland in overtime in Week 8 of the 2001 season.
“Probably one of the craziest endings I have ever been a part of,” wide receiver Corey Davis said, “and probably one of the greatest feelings, too.”
Saleh’s decision to stick with Flacco was widely questioned after the 37-yearold quarterback was mediocre in the Jets’ season-opening loss to Baltimore. It wasn’t all Flacco, who was victimized by at least four dropped passes, shoddy protection and penalties. Fans chanted for Mike White to play — and followed that up during the week with calls to sports talk radio and posts on social media for him to step in, at least while Zach Wilson remains sidelined.
Saleh stuck with Flacco — and looked pretty smart Sunday. Flacco finished with 307 yards passing and four touchdowns, including the two in 60 seconds that were sandwiched around a successful onside kick.
“No,” Saleh said when asked if he felt some vindication for his quarterback decision. “We have to win a hell of a lot more than one game to cash in on those.”
That’s true. Overreactions — positive or negative — are never prudent on Mondays during the NFL season. But the Jets showed they could actually win a game like that. And that’s not something many would have believed possible, at least during the past several years for the franchise with the league’s longest postseason drought at 11 years.
It was a signature win for Saleh in his second year as coach, and a potential tone setter for the season. It was also a sign of hope for the Jets and their fans.
How they build on that unlikely victory will set the course for the rest of this season — and potentially beyond.
“It feels great,” running back Michael Carter said after the game. “We were talking about giving the Jets fans something to be proud of and happy about. We did that today.”