For the first time in over a month, Joe Benigno’s weekly Jets visit to Evan & Tiki came after a win, and it came on Friday after Thursday Night Football – although not without him feeling the pain during the game.
“After Corley put the ball on the ground on the two-yard line and didn't score that touchdown, I said there's no way; this is gonna be another, butt fumble, fake spike, something like that,” Joe said. “I thought there was no way to win in the game, so to come back and really overcome a lot of mistakes, I thought that was very un-Jet-like.”
Garrett Wilson made perhaps the best catch in team history, the offensive line actually came together, and ‘we’ll take it’ was Joe’s overall synopsis – but Tiki is worried the Jets aren’t going to be able to sustain what made them victorious on an every-week basis.
“The first half was absolutely brutal, both sides unwatchable, but let’s give the defense some credit,” Joe said. “But the one thing that bothered me, and they have to shore this up next week against Kyler Murray, is that C.J. Stroud had a lot of runs. He’s not a big runner, but that’s been a problem, and you’re not gonna get away with that with Kyler Murray.”
And all that said…that’s why Joe is still cautious that the now 3-6 Jets have any chance to make something out of this season.
“We’ll see where they are now, and it’s nice to win a game, but they gotta win next week. They got eight games to play, and they gotta win next week…and I don’t have confidence at all,” Joe said. “They are what their record says they are, and the Colts are a very tough team. They could lose to everybody! My only confidence lies in the fact that he’s not what he once was, but we still have far more competent quarterback play than we've had in a long time with Aaron Rodgers, who has a chip on his shoulder – the Jet karma has engulfed him – and we have weapons now. He’s motivated to win, and he’s still a competent quarterback, but they have to play better and cut down on the mistakes.”