Jets React to First Win: 'Felt Like We Won a Super Bowl'

The New York Jets upset the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, securing their first win of the season. Here's how QB Sam Darnold and coach Adam Gase reacted to the win

Sam Darnold knelt in victory formation for the first time in 357 days on Sunday. As he and his teammates clinched their first win of the season, snapping a 13-game losing streak to start the year, pure joy began to set in.

"It’s the greatest feeling in sports to be able to ice the game out and know we had it," Darnold told reporters in a Zoom call. "It’s the best."

New York stunned the Rams in Los Angeles, a win that may have blown their shot at the first pick of next spring's draft. Nonetheless, Darnold and his teammates that spoke after the game assured that the 2021 NFL draft wasn't on their mind this week or on game day. These players were doing all they could to make sure their hard work paid off in the form of a tally in the win column.

"It felt good. It's a great feeling. I'm happy we got to win just because of how hard we work everyday," running back Frank Gore said. "Every week we come in as a team. Like I tell y'all, if you come and watch us, man, it don't look like an 0-13 team. These young men come in every day and fight and we finally got one."

Rams' Head Coach Sean McVay Calls Loss to Jets 'Embarrassing'

Darnold and Gore connected on the decisive first-down conversion moments before the two minute warning that effectively clinched the Jets' win. At that point, head coach Adam Gase didn't take his eyes off New York's formation, making sure no mistakes were made.

"I don’t think I have paid as much attention to the victory formations as I did this game because I was making sure we were good. I didn’t want anything going on," Gase recalled. "I just kept talking to Sam about getting our guys back in the huddle, making sure he did the right thing with using the clock. It’s been a while since we have been in that."

From Gase's perspective, watching this group devote week after week to getting better and giving this group its best shot to win, he said he couldn't be happier for his team and that they deserve every bit of this success.

"They’ve done such a great job of how they’ve worked," Gase said. "They’ve been through a lot of adversity. It’s been too long for us to even remember what a win feels like almost. It’s great to see those guys that excited."

Jets Shock Rams to Avoid Winless Season

Gase went on to say the following morning, in a conference call with reporters, that he's never seen a group of players more excited after a game than what he saw in the locker room and on the plane home on Sunday night.

And that's coming from a coach that was the Denver Broncos team that went to the Super Bowl in 2013. 

"It was good to see those guys rewarded with a win," he said. "The excitement that they had on the way home, it was fun to see as somebody that's been through a lot of different things in my career."

After sleeping on it, Darnold also had more to say on Monday. Asked if he's ever been more excited to win a game in the regular season, Darnold didn't hesitate.

"No, I mean, it's a huge relief for a lot of the guys in the locker room to be able to get this win and it means the world to us," he explained. "There's a lot of emotion and excitement in the locker room after the game and obviously on the flight back as well."

Jets Players Take to Social Media to Celebrate First Win

Gase is now 8-22 as New York's head coach. One win certainly doesn't wipe away an entire season of struggles and, at times, utter incompetence. The win, however, is going to have a lasting impact on New York's young players that had yet to experience a victory in their NFL careers.

Just ask first-rounder Mekhi Becton what the win meant to him.

"It just felt like we won a Super Bowl," the left tackle told Jets team reporter Olivia Landis after the game. "We worked so hard for it so we have no choice but to get excited for this one win. We had a great time in that locker room. We're going to try and get a second one now."

The final two teams remaining on the Jets' schedule are the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. While Gase's gang will strive—as Becton said—to get their second win before the offseason begins, they're going to enjoy this first victory as much as possible in the meantime.

Then, it's back to work.

"It’s lively in there. It’s loud. It’s a lot of excited guys," Gase said on the Jets' locker room moments after the victory. "We have a long flight back, so this will make it a lot more enjoyable."

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.