The New York Jets had Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, circled on their calendars. That's because they were taking on the Denver Broncos and their head coach, Sean Payton, who had critical comments about the team and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
During a USA Today interview in the offseason, Payton called Hacketts' tenure as Broncos head coach last season "one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL" while calling the Jets the champions of the offseason. The Jets players were looking for revenge against Payton.
In Week 5, New York picked up the 31-21 victory, thanks in part to a late fumble by Denver quarterback Russell Wilson, which was recovered and returned for a touchdown by cornerback Bryce Hall. With that, the Jets improve to 2-3 on the year, while the Broncos fall to 1-4.
After the game, the Jets' official Twitter account sent out a meme that was undoubtedly kept in their drafts for months, which featured Kevin James, who played Payton in the Netflix movie "Home Team," wearing Broncos gear, looking surprised. The caption of the photo read, "When you lose to the 'offseason champs.'"
Jets' Twitter account, Aaron Rodgers troll Sean Payton after Week 5 win
The Jets' social media team weren't the only ones to chime in after the team's win. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has publicly backed Hackett after Payton's comments went viral this summer, sent out a tweet that read, "W #hackett," complete with a heart emoji.
Payton had blamed Hackett and "20 dirty hands" for the Broncos' failures and the struggles of quarterback Russell Wilson during his 15-game tenure as head coach of the team. Rodgers and other Jets players had their offensive coordinator's back, making the Week 5 matchup must-see.
Without Rodgers available due to a torn Achilles, the team picked up a win against Payton's squad. The Jets' lone offensive touchdown of the game came on a 72-yard touchdown run by Breece Hall, who just so happened to have torn his ACL at Empower Field at Mile High last season. Zach Wilson threw for 199 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception while completing 19-of-26 attempts.
As the game clock winded down, CBS cameras caught Hackett standing on the sidelines, receiving congratulations from members of the Jets. After the game, head coach Robert Saleh said that one of the game balls went to Hackett.
Fixing the Broncos was always going to be a project for Payton but thus far, the team looks like one of the favorites to secure the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft at season's end. But they will look to secure their elusive second win of the season this Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
As for the Jets, they face the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.