In a wide receiver group of younger players, veteran WR Corey Davis can sometimes be the forgotten man. But in the Jets' 24-20 victory against Pittsburgh, he could not be ignored. Davis produced four fourth-quarter catches including a touchdown to cut the lead, 20-17, and two grabs on the Jets' game-winning drive.
"It felt good," Davis said. "You guys talk a lot about E (Elijah Moore) and Garrett (Wilson) and rightfully so. Those dudes can do a lot with the ball. They are great players, and you should hype them up. But I am just here to do my job. Take it one day at a time. I don't need all the hype. I don't need all the attention. Just trying to do my job and get a win."
Davis' 2021 season ended early in Week 13 after he sustained a core-muscle injury that required him to get surgery. And by the time he returned to Florham Park for OTAs, the Green & White added a top-10 pick Wilson and returned Moore after he led the Jets with 538 yards receiving in 2021. But Sunday, in the final quarter when QB Zach Wilson had to have it, he turned to the veteran.
Davis got off to a slow start being held without a catch in the first half. But in the final quarter, Davis caught four passes for 59 yards and a touchdown, finishing the afternoon with five grabs for 74 yards.
"We were never down," he said. "We understood what we had to do and play our best ball. It was not pretty but we had to have it."
Trailing 20-10 with just under 10 minutes left, he converted on fourth-and-7 for 22 yards, his first catch of the final frame. Three plays later, he lined up on the outside of a bunch formation in the slot, worked to the outside and then turned back inside where he was open on the goal line.
"He ran a lot of big boy routes," HC Robert Saleh said. "He is doing a nice job stacking up a lot of good days. He is backing up what we saw in training camp."
Davis and the rookie Garrett Wilson each came up with crucial catches. Wilson caught a pass for 35 yards on third down to set up the Davis TD. Davis caught two passes for 32 yards on the game-winning drive including a sliding grab behind him.
"Those guys do a great job separating in their man coverage and winning at the top," Zach Wilson said. "I can see the routes that they are giving me. It is easy for me to sit back there and hit them."
Davis added of the comeback: "We have got a lot of heart. We have got a lot of dudes who have been through some things. Not only in this game, but in life. That kind of prepares us for this moment. Really proud of the leaders on this team to come out and make it happen."
