New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jets' Nathaniel Hackett reflects on win over Broncos, Sean Payton

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 10/12/23

New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett acknowledged on Thursday that receiving a game ball from head coach Robert Saleh after this past Sunday's 31-21 win at the Denver Broncos was special considering what Denver head coach Sean Payton said during the offseason.

"I think anytime you win a football game you’re absolutely ecstatic," Hackett explained during a news conference, per Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "To be honored with that is amazing. It’s a credit to our entire team. I just call the plays, those guys went out there and executed. And I’m so grateful [for] just how they played."

Multiple Jets players dedicated the Week 5 victory to Hackett after Payton ripped the coordinator over the summer for being responsible for what "might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL" when Hackett held Payton's current job last season. While Payton later expressed regret for his comments, Jets players left little doubt before and after their latest win that they entered Empower Field at Mile High with revenge on their minds.

As for Hackett, he praised tight end Tyler Conklin on Thursday for delivering a clutch first-down play in the fourth quarter of the Denver contest:

38 yards for Tyler Conklin! LORD pic.twitter.com/u61Lmh6qG6
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhiferNFL) October 8, 2023

"...What [Conklin] did after the catch just shows who he is," Hackett said. "And he’s been doing that consistently throughout this year. Drop-stepping, running, trying to run over a guy, and then watching all the other guys come together and try to push that pile. I mean, I’m getting tingles right now. I don’t know about you guys. I mean, that was one of the most perfect plays I’ve ever seen. And in that kind of a critical moment, it was just so awesome to see."

While it's understandable Hackett received questions about the previous game, he and everyone else in the locker room must now focus on the difficult task of attempting to even hang with the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles at home this coming Sunday. As of Thursday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Eagles as seven-point favorites for that matchup.

Whatever Philadelphia players do, they probably should speak only favorably of New York coaches ahead of the weekend.

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