Jets receiver Corey Davis catches attention with big game against Steelers
Jets wide receiver Corey Davis (84) heads to the end zone and a touchdown past Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Credit: Don Wright
PITTSBURGH — Corey Davis is overshadowed by two other Jets wide receivers.
Most of the attention goes to rookie Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. And Davis is OK with that.
“That’s who you guys [the media] write about and talk about,” Davis said. “You should. Those guys deserve all the hype they get. They’re great receivers.”
However, Davis had his moment to shine Sunday as the Jets rallied for a 24-20 victory over the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. He made two big catches in the fourth quarter as the Jets came back from a 20-10 deficit.
Davis caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Zach Wilson with 7:31 left to draw the Jets within 20-17. He helped keep the 11-play, 81-yard drive alive when he had a 22-yard reception on a fourth-and-7 play from the Steelers’ 39-yard line.
The Jets got the ball back after an interception by Michael Carter II, then marched to the winning score, a 2-yard run by Breece Hall with 16 seconds remaining.
Davis had receptions that covered 15 and 17 yards as the Jets went 65 yards in 10 plays.
Davis credited Wilson for the big fourth-down play and praised the overall performance of the quarterback. Wilson made his season debut after suffering a knee injury in the preseason and having surgery.
Wilson completed 18 of 36 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
“Zach’s a warrior out there,” Davis said. “He was just trying to stay alive back there, trying to make something happen with his feet. I got an opportunity there to make a catch on fourth down, but I’m proud of the way he played.
“I’m proud of the way the whole team played. We showed a lot of heart. It’s a big win.”
Davis led the Jets with five receptions for 74 yards and the touchdown.
“He made some big-time catches, ran some big-boy routes,” coach Robert Saleh said. “He’s doing a really nice job stacking up good days and he’s been stacking them up since back in training camp.”
Moore had three catches for 53 yards, tight end Tyler Conklin had three for 52 yards and Garrett Wilson caught two balls for 41 yards.
Wilson leads the team with 20 receptions for 255 yards and two TDs. Moore has 15 catches for 194 yards.
However, Davis’ season statistics are right there with that duo. He has 15 catches for 261 yards and two scores.
Davis is on target to easily surpass his 34 receptions, 492 yards and four TDs from last season, his first with the Jets. He was limited to nine games because of a core muscle injury after being signed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract as a free agent.
“He’s been good all year,” Saleh said. “He does all the grunt work. He gets all the catches over the middle.
“His stats may not show it, but his work is good. He’s been a really good complement to [Moore and Wilson] and he’s been a good player for us.”
