When his number was called, WR Tyler Johnson made the play.
Facing a fourth-and-2 on the Bengals' 15-yard line, the Jets trailed by 17-3 in the second quarter in Cincinnati. After an unsuccessful fourth-down conversion attempt earlier in the game, the Jets decided to take another crack at it -- and this time, Johnson hauled in a 15-yard pass from QB Justin Fields in the back of the end zone.
It was Johnson's first touchdown as a member of the Green & White, and it couldn't have come at a better time -- it brought the Jets within one score in a game that could have slipped away before halftime.
"It was making sure you're doing what you're supposed to do each and every play," Johnson said of the play. "Running every route to win. J Fields put a great ball out there and I was able to make the play."
The touchdown came just four plays after Fields connected with Johnson for 34 yards to move the Jets into Bengals' territory. The Jets have been without WR Garrett Wilson for the last two games, and Johnson has stepped up. After posting a team-leading 60 receiving yards in Week 7, he recorded a team-leading 64 receiving yards in Week 8.
Johnson started the season on the Jets' practice squad, but the sixth-year receiver has made the most of his opportunities. He was elevated to the active roster for Week 1 and caught both of his targets. The former fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was then signed to the active roster in Week 2, and he hauled in 2 passes against his former team in Week 3.
Even when the Jets turned their attention to the run game during Sunday's Week 8 win, Johnson embraced the opportunity to contribute.
"Coach preaches it," he said Sunday of the Jets' production on the ground. "Our brand is our brand, and we definitely put it out there on the field today. In our receiver room, we take pride in blocking. … We want to make sure we're doing what we need to do in order to do our one percent on the field."
Johnson contributed to a unit that exploded for 502 net yards of offense and scored 3 fourth-quarter TDs to overcome a 15-point deficit, marking the third-largest comeback by the Green & White since 2000.
"A lot of grit," Johnson said of the fourth-quarter effort. "We didn't give up, we just came together as a team. We were all dialed in, each and every play.
"We fought to the end and that's what it's all about. It feels good."
