Robert Saleh’s perfect ‘receipts’ answer after Jets’ insane comeback win over Browns should offer fans hope

CLEVELAND – The Jets pulled off one of the most remarkable comeback victories in NFL history Sunday, storming back from 13 down in the final two minutes to beat the Browns 31-30 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

And the timing couldn’t have been better for Jets coach Robert Saleh, who spent days before the game facing heavy criticism after said he was “taking receipts” on those mocking the team and he “couldn’t wait to shove it down everyone’s throats when it comes around.”

Many Jets fans, who have watched their team miss the playoffs in an NFL worst 11 straight seasons, responded angrily to Saleh’s words on social media and sports radio. And they also weren’t thrilled with his decision to stick with 37-year-old Joe Flacco after a shaky Week 1 start.

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But after Flacco threw two of his four touchdown passes in the final 90 seconds to help the Jets become the first team in 21 years to win after trailing by 13 or more in the final two minutes, Saleh wasn’t looking to send a message of vindication.

“No,” he said. “We have to win a hell of a lot more than one game to cash in on those.”

It was a perfect response by Saleh on a remarkable day for his team.

If the Jets turn things around and become a good football team under Saleh, this day is surely going to be remembered as a reason why. But until they do, the Jets should just look at this for what it was: a very fortunate set of circumstances that they capitalized on to win a game that they had all but lost.

“This was a crazy game,” Jets wide receiver Corey Davis said. “Probably one of the craziest endings I have ever been a part of. And probably one of the greatest feelings, too.”

That’s how this moment will always be remembered, as arguably the most unlikely win in franchise history.

But how it is viewed moving forward in a larger context will all depend on what the Jets do next.

If the Jets return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday and lose big to the Bengals – who they upset last October before Cincinatti made a run to the Super Bowl – most people will explain away what happened here as a fluky win by a football team that isn’t very good.

But if the Jets keep improving and continue winning, this moment could be viewed as a catalyst for Saleh’s young team: the unlikely result that sparked them to an improbable season and perhaps more.

“We’ll see,” Saleh said. “We’ve got to [catch fire]. We have no choice. We have a Super Bowl runner-up coming to town this week – a dynamic offense, a really good defense. I’m sure they’ll remember last yaer. So they’re going to come in guns blazing and we’ve got to answer it.”

That’s the only thing the Jets can do right now, focus on the task ahead and let the rest take care of itself.

The good news for the Jets and for Saleh, is that this win should provide a respite (albeit temporary) from the negativity and criticism that has been building from years of losing. The Jets believe they are learning and building toward something better, but it’s hard to get players and fans to see it when the results don’t match up with that. The Jets had won one of their last seven games before Sunday’s win.

“It’s a lot easier [after a win],” Saleh said. “It’s so much easier to have these conversations, but the conversation still has to be real. It still has to be real. We still have to get a lot of stuff fixed.”

And that’s true. The Jets’ defense struggled after a mostly strong Week 1, struggling to stop the Browns passing attack early and run game late. They committed too many costly penalties: they were flagged eight times for 56 yards, including 6 penalties for 47 after halftime.

“We did not execute the way we wanted to execute on defense,” defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said. “We have to learn.”

But ultimately they did enough to get the win. When it came down to crunch time, they were the team making the game-winning plays and capitalizing on their opponent’s mistakes.

“We have a team,” Williams said. “Special teams balled out. [The] offense balled out. … When you have a group of guys that we have, with tremendous fight and love for each other, these are the kind of games that we have.”

And to win a game like this, in such memorable fashion, is something that can change the way this locker room looks at each other and help this team moving forward.

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“That’s big,” defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. “One of the things I’ve learned in this league is something I kind of live by … once you’ve shown yourself you can do it, it’s a lot easier to believe you can do it again. So being able to have this young group of guys come into a hostile environment, things aren’t going right, we’re down 13 …

“Bullets are flying and to just be able to rally and lock in and make those plays that are necessary to win big-time football games? That’s going to go a long way toward building confidence in this team going down the stretch and playing in more close games.”

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Andy Vasquez may be reached at avasquez@njadvancemedia.com.

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