Hackett vs Payton: Why are the New York Jets looking for revenge against the Denver Broncos?
There’s nothing like a good backstory. With all that’s been said between the two teams ahead of their Week 5 meeting, there’s no way this game isn’t epic.
If one thing is certain about Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets, it’s that it will not lack intensity and aggression, at least on the part of the Jets who are seeking revenge. With the off-field feud between the teams well-documented it’s now a matter of settling in on the field.
What’s the beef between the Broncos & Jets?
With the season that the Denver Broncos have been having so far, one could argue that it’s simply karma. Why? Back in July during training camp, Broncos head coach Sean Payton gave a scathing review of his predecessor, Nathaniel Hackett, the man who was fired by the Broncos, and is now the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets. “One of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL,” were the words Payton used at the time. Needless to say, there was immediate backlash from around the NFL. Even new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers aired his thoughts as he defended his OC.
Ultimately, Payton would go on to call his comments a “mistake,” but as you can imagine, the damage was done. Which brings us to the point: You reap what you sow. The Broncos are currently 1-3 following their first win of the season, a 31-28 nick of the less-than-stellar Chicago Bears. That game came after a historic 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, a result that left Payton “at a loss for words,” and many around the league echoing the idea of ‘bad karma. So, with that, we come to Sunday’s showdown, and by the looks of things, the Jets are raring to go.
The Jets are out for revenge
When the teams meet on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, there will be no way to avoid the fact that the Payton vs Hackett situation will be as much of a talking point as the game itself. Indeed, the Jets players have already made it clear that they will be playing for their OC. Speaking with the media, New York center Connor McGovern said the team wants to get “payback” for Hackett. “He got thrown under the bus, and then they tried to drag him under the bus,” McGovern said. “We wanted to rally around him from the start. He’s such a good guy. I don’t know how you want to say this - the opportunity he has - but we want to make the most of him being our play-caller.”
Echoing the sentiment was the team’s tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker who made it clear that they are going to “rally behind Hack, regardless. I think this week there may be a little bigger chip on some of the guys’ shoulders just because the comments that were made before.” For his part, Hackett has had nothing to say about whether Payton’s comments will be on his mind when the teams meet, in fact, he’s tried to place the focus on the team. “Let’s put it this way, everyone,” Hackett said. “This game is about those guys out on that field. This game is not about me, it’s about me helping them during the week. I just want the guys to go out there and play a great game.”
So, what can we expect from Jets vs Broncos?
Like the Broncos, the Jets are currently sitting on a record of 1-3 which is not ideal. Of course, it has to be said that fate has been cruel in New York. As you surely know, four-time MVP and new Jets quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, went down with an Achilles tear just four snaps into his debut with the team in Week 1. Understandably, it’s been a struggle ever since. Yet, it’s interesting to note that the team has remained positive. To that end, McGovern stressed the importance of Hackett once again. “He’s a phenomenal coach, crazy smart, and he makes meetings really fun and easy to learn. So, he’s definitely a guy that you want to play hard for. Then to go to a place that was dogging a guy that’s so nice and so good at his job, and for him to get thrown under the bus and dragged through the mud, you definitely want to play that much harder.”
As for Payton and Co., their only win this season was that aforementioned one against the limping Bears. Their three losses have come against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Washington Commanders, and of course, the mauling we mentioned before at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. Now, you might say that at least they are coming off of a win, while the Jets are coming off of a loss, but that loss was something to behold. Behind the heavily criticized Zach Wilson - the kid charged with replacing Aaron Rodgers - the Jets pushed the defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs to the limit in a game that they lost 23-20.
To be frank, Wilson outplayed the reigning MVP, Patrick Mahomes, as seen by the 28-for-39 passing with 245 yards and two touchdowns that he registered. Mahomes on the other hand could only muster 18-for-30 passing with 203 yards, one touchdown, and two INTs. The point is these two teams come into this one the same, but different. The thing that separates them is that for one side, it’s personal. Expect fireworks.