Jets, OC Nathaniel Hackett get last laugh in win against Sean Payton, Broncos
The New York Jets' 31-21 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday was important for many reasons.
First of all, it snapped the Jets' three-game losing streak and gave them their first road win of the season. It also served as a coming-out party of sorts for second-year running back Breece Hall, who set career highs with 22 carries for 177 yards on the ground.
But perhaps most important, it provided a measure of revenge for Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired by the Broncos as head coach after going 4-11 last season – and who was roundly criticized by incoming coach Sean Payton in a July interview with USA TODAY Sports.
"It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was," Payton said.
And the Jets took that personally …
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"If someone talks (expletive) about one of us or one of our coaches or anybody in the building, we want to have their back," said tight end C.J. Uzomah. "So this one was for Hack."
"He had that look on his face, like, man, he really wanted this game," defensive back Sauce Gardner said, according ot ESPN. "So it meant a lot to get a win for him."
In the locker room after the win, head coach Robert Saleh presented Hackett with a game ball.
Payton, who has since admitted he made a "mistake" in criticizing Hackett during the summer, declined to elaborate when asked about his comments after the game.
"Listen, they played better than us," Payton said. "I credit Robert and that staff, they won the game, that's how I look at it."
Hackett was not available to the media after the game, but the stat sheet said more than enough.
Hackett's offense rolled up 407 total yards, 234 of them coming on the ground, as the Jets erased a 13-8 halftime deficit and improved to 2-3 on the season.