Two wrongs made two critical points for Randall Cobb, Zach Wilson and the Jets.
After the Jets scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, head coach Robert Saleh elected to go for a two-point conversion that Wilson converted by firing a fastball to Cobb in traffic to put the finishing touch on a 20-14 comeback victory against the previously unbeaten Eagles.
It was the first catch of the game for Cobb, who was targeted three other times.
“That wasn’t actually my route,” Cobb told The Post. “I went in motion and I went to the flat, but the other day in walk-through it was wide open so I turned back in, Zach saw it and we made contact and he was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ It’s crazy that it actually came to fruition.”
Just like it worked in practice, the same on-the-fly adjustment worked against the Eagles.
“I changed up my route a little bit and I did the same thing in the game,” Cobb said, “and it worked out perfectly.”
Well, it worked out perfectly because Cobb held onto the ball while taking a big shoulder hit from Josh Jobe and winding up at the feet of Nicholas Morrow.
Just a few weeks ago, Cobb was beating himself up for letting a Hail Mary slip out of his fingers when the Jets lost to the Patriots.
Not this time.
“I haven’t taken a shot like that in a while,” the 13-year veteran Cobb said. “Big-time situation and I’m trying to make a play for us.”
Technically, the pass doesn’t even count toward Wilson’s final line of 19 of 33 passing for 186 yards, but teammates won’t forget the way he bought time in the pocket for receivers to get open.
Neither will fans who were rocking MetLife Stadium.
“The momentum we had going into that two-point conversion and Zach making a hell of a pass, it’s just crazy” left guard Laken Tomlinson said. “It’s one of those moments that’s just like, that’s what makes you legendary.”
The Jets led 18-14 after Breece Hall’s 8-yard touchdown run but Saleh — whose game management has been suspect at times — wisely went for two so that the Jets might survive the worst-case scenario of allowing a touchdown if the Eagles missed the PAT.
None of that advance thinking was necessary because the Jets’ defense made a stop.
“It was great poise by Zach to stick in the pocket,” receiver Allen Lazard said. “The play broke down. We didn’t get the look that we wanted to. The offensive line was kind of hold up, Zach was able to scramble around and Randall took one of the biggest shots he’s had in his career — especially at this stage.”
To make one of the biggest catches he’s made in a few years.
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