Week 5’s matchup between the Jets and Broncos was the most interesting matchup between one-win teams in recent memory. Offseason comments from Denver coach Sean Payton pointed at New York’s entire approach to the offseason, and he specifically called out offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who failed to finish the season as Broncos coach in 2022.
After the Jets pulled out a 31-21 win, coach Robert Saleh had his moment to return the favor in the postgame presser. When asked about his team’s defensive adjustments, Saleh seemingly took a jab at the Broncos coach by saying he “wasn’t letting [Russell Wilson] play quarterback.”
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“Let me say this the right way. … They were getting us on a lot of screens, and the quarterback was getting a lot of yardage with his feet. So it was just a matter of taking out the screen game, taking out the QB scramble, make him play quarterback. Felt like the way they were calling it wasn’t letting him playing quarterback,” Saleh told reporters.
Saleh might have been showing restraint with his comment. After all, Payton called Hackett’s job as Denver’s head coach in ’22 “maybe one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”
The win moved the Jets to 2-3 on the season, while the Broncos fell to 1-4.
