Joe Benigno CELEBRATES Jets’ Win & RIPS Losing Mentality! “Winning Is COOL!”

Joe Benigno CELEBRATES Jets’ Win & RIPS Losing Mentality! “Winning Is COOL!”

Can you believe it? Two in a row, Joe. That’s unbelievable. But before I even get to that, my my condolences to you with your basketball team. That’s that’s I know it’s only nine games, whatever it is, into the season, but you know, bro, really, I I feel for you cuz I have no great hatred for the Nets, and I I just feel bad for you. I The Nets still in the lead. To make matters worse, Joe, I decided last night after the Jet victory to celebrate by taking my youngest son, Spence, to the Garden to Madison Square Garden. That was a good move, was it? But he survived. We left the garden and he’s still a Nets fan. Is he? Well, good for him. You know, maybe by the time that he’s uh, you know, like your age, the Nets might be good. That’s my goal. That’s my goal. Maybe in a decade they’ll become good. Right. Right. Uh, what’ you think of this one against Cleveland coming out of the buy after all the trades? Loved it, bro. You know what? I think this I think this game really uh spoke well for the coach uh on a number of levels. Number one, we win after the buy, which we never do. I think we lost nine out of the last 10 after buys. I thought that was something, you know, considering all the uh the distractions this week with the trades and everything, you know, for them to come out and and uh play like they did, you know, was was terrific. And and here’s the other thing, too, bro. To win it. And I know the Browns stink. I mean, let’s not, you know, I mean, we’re not this is about the the weight class of teams that we’re in right now. I understand that. But, you know, but it’s a game you can win and they did. And I understand the Browns Browns stink. But to win this game, and I think this is something to look forward to going forward, the rest of the year as well, especially if Fields is going to continue to be the quarterback, to win a game when your quarterback plays like he played yesterday. When you com when you throw for 50, really, well, really it was really like 12 yards because you take away the 42 yard screen to Breeze, who by the way, could they throw the ball to him more? Uh, he threw for 12 yards. Uh, it’s really it’s really unbelievable when you think about it. Yeah. No, they won a game while not playing actually a good game. At least not offensively. Special teams and defense was was was fantastic. And it look, it’s the big issue that the Jets are going to face now and going forward is what the quarterback situation is like. But if you’re winning games, who cares, you know what I mean? It’s just like deal with it when you have to deal with it. Right now, it’s the only option you have with Justin Fields. And you hope that every now and then he has a game like he had two weeks ago before the buy or or in week one against the Steelers. But for the most part, run the football and play good defense. It’s old school. That’s it. And look, I wouldn’t mind seeing Tyrod Taylor. I mean, I, you know, I think this would be a good spot for him this week to play Tyrod Taylor. But, I mean, but be that as it may, it doesn’t really matter that much because how many how many more games will we win with Tyrod Taylor? So, that’s, you know, you got to think that way, too. But, you know, I that’s what I want the rest of the way. Tee, look, there’s eight games to go. Uh, I look at it this way. Give me four and four. I think there’s legitimately four winnable games for them. You know, I don’t expect them to beat the Patriots. I if if if this was a long normal Sunday game coming up, I’d feel better about it because, you know, the Patriots are coming off a big win. They’ve won seven in a row. You know, to me, a little bit of a statement game down in Tampa, beating a good Buck team on the road and all of that. Uh, you know, and a little separation now with with New England and Buffalo. Buffalo’s really got some issues, but um but playing on a Thursday, three days later, eh, that’s going to be a tough spot. And then they got to play the Ravens. So, they’re probably going to lose the next two games. But, you know, Atlanta, the the Jaguars. I know that game’s on a road, but so what the Jaguars, maybe Miami, although Miami looked like a world beater against Buffalo yesterday, but still, you know, they’re at home. That’s a game they can win. Um, you know, certainly New Orleans on the road. So, you know, if they can win four, even three and five, you know, going into next year and and the coach has got this team playing well and you know, you’re actually winning games with this quarterback, that’s not bad. Well, I’m going to ask a rhetorical question cuz I know your answer, but I need you to say it because it’s so impactful. Can you tell the Jet fans, the dopey Jet fans, and even some of the Giant fans I work with, like Sean, I know where you’re going. Can you remind them that winning is actually cool and that we shouldn’t be here tanking the draft? You’re 100% right. I am so tired. You know, you’re crying. I mean, for to Shawn Morash, did you get your quarterback in the first round last year? Was he the first pick in the draft? You know, I’ll take him. He could be my quarterback. It’s unfortunate he got hurt yesterday and obviously with Dable the writing was on the wall but you got a quarterback if you’re a Giant fan. Okay, and you didn’t get him with the first pick in the draft. So this idea that you have to have the first pick in the draft, it’s nonsense. The draft position is nonsense. If you’re a Jet fan, there’s guys out there you saw everybody loves Mendoza after the great drive to beat Penn State and he was looked terrific. You know, Dante Moore looked good in Iowa in the rain, you know, leading them down the field and to win by a field goal. Looked good. Some great throws. I love the kid pave at Vanderbilt. There’s guys, you know, the kid at Alabama. So, whatever the deal may be, you don’t know. Nobody knows who’s going to be the, you know, the guy. So, you draft where you draft, you know, if you can make a deal to move up. If you really like a guy and that’s the guy you want and you, you know, you got the draft capital to make moves, you make the move. You got to stop worrying about, you know, let’s lo what you want to be one and 16. I mean, if you’re a Jet fan, aren’t you tired of losing games? Yes. Don’t you feel better today? Okay. You wake up on a Monday morning. Oh, you know, we won yesterday. You know, for whatever you want to say about it, it took two kick returns for touchdowns. That helped. But whatever it takes how you did you have on your bingo card that Will McDonald would ac out sack Miles Garrett? No, he was ridiculous. He had he was he was a demon yesterday and uh I got to give him credit too for this. You know, he he changed his number from Gastau’s number and to number nine. And that’s a great a great move by him. And by the way, I want to say this to Fasinu as well. Okay. And he’s a fine player. He got beat once by Miles Garrett yesterday, but that’s fine. It’s Miles Garrett. Change your number. I want I want to see the Jets retire Nick Mangle’s number and and and get another number. Oie, how do you say his first name? Fashion. Okay. get another number in in honor of Nick Mangold and especially if he winds up in the Hall of Fame. But with that said, no, I did not have that. McDonald was great yesterday. How about Quincy Williams yesterday? Here’s a guy. He was all over the field. This is a guy and I think that I really maybe maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m not. Maybe Glenn was playing with him a little bit to motivate him. But Joe, that’s what good coaches do. That’s what coaches do. That is exactly underperforming what you’re supposed to do. Guess what? You’re not playing. Period. I’m sitting you down. You want it back, earn it. Right. You know what? You know what the great Parcels used to do with LT? He’d go up there down. He would to get LT wound up. He say, “Hey, you know that guy Pat Swilling in New Orleans, you know, he you know, he’s looking a little better than you are, you know, and that would fire Lawrence up, you know what I mean?” So, uh, you know, there’s there’s a lot to be said for that, Tikki. You know, no question about it. No doubt. That’s you you you can’t not give Aaron Glenn credit for that. But and that’s that’s what we’re looking for because when they when they start the season 0 and seven, we’re all looking around thinking, is he the guy? Should they fire him after one year? And we’re looking for signs of life. And the combination of winning, seeing players responding to benching. You touched on it. They just traded away two of their better defensive players and they didn’t come out flat. They didn’t come out looking awful. Like I think that matters cuz we’re still trying to figure out, can this guy be the head coach? Can this guy be the answer? And that’s the story. And that’s why you want to win games going forward. We’re set draftwise, okay? We we got as good a situation as we could have in the draft right now. Y, okay? Just don’t worry about, you know, oh, we got to get the first pick, you know. I hate that. It makes me crazy. I mean, don’t you want, if you are an intelligent football fan, this is how I look at it, Teague, you know the deal when it comes to the draft. You’ve been watching this game. There’s plenty of Jamarcus Russells out there. It’s happened over and over again. You know, you know, Zach Wilson was the second pick in the draft. I mean, there’s no science with this. You know, in a lot of ways, you got to get lucky and uh just you got the capital, make it count. That’s the bottom line. The the other thing, and there’s no way for me to prove this, Joe, but we’ve been talking obviously a lot of Giants today, as you can imagine. The Giants constantly find ways to lose. It’s like a science. And I wonder if all the losing over the last three years contributes to that. So, I think that winning is just healthy for the guys to get used to winning when next year or the year after the expectations are a little bit higher, right? No question about it. Now, you you look, that’s like I said, look, if they go five and 12, okay, fine. All right. They’re still going to have a top 10 pick and it’s look and there’s a lot of team. Look, right now the Giants are below them. The Saints are below them. I know they played more one more game, both of them, you know, but Tennessee is below. So, they’re not getting the f just realize this, Jet fans. We’re not getting the first pick in the draft. It’s not going to happen. But you only need it because you want to take one of the quarterbacks, right? Right. But there’s five or six quarterbacks and I have no idea which one is going to be the best. There’s no question. Somebody’s going to mess that up next year. I promise. And even and even this tee and look, I look I think we got to get our quarterback, but if they said to themselves, and I’ll get, you know, and I don’t know if I want to see another year of Justin Fields, but if they said to themselves, look, I don’t know if the the guy we really want is the is in this draft. Okay? And there’s a lot a lot of people talk about next year’s draft is better. You know, I love Arch Manning, whatever. It doesn’t matter. Uh maybe you say, you know, hey, maybe next year I’ll take my quarterback. I mean, I look, would I be happy about it? I wouldn’t. But if it worked out in the end, you know, you know what I’m saying? You know what I mean? The other option, and I don’t know if you even want to go this route, but it’s an option with all these draft picks, is if a veteran becomes available. No. No. Out of no answer is no. I don’t want Joe Burrow for three number ones. I don’t want Kyler Murray. Give me a break. That’s the last guy I want. You know what I want? I want my guy. You know, every time outside of maybe Vinnie Testie, every time that we have gotten somebody else’s quarterback, whether it was Neil O’Donnell, in all due respect to your Boomer, whether it was Boomeras, whether it was Brett Favre, whether it was Aaron Rogers, it doesn’t work out. We have to draft our guy. I’m telling you right now, this idea that you get Joe Joe Burrow’s hurt all the time. I don’t want to hear it. He, you know, he’s missing. I don’t know. They say he might come back this year. This guy’s He’s always hurt. You know, he got hurt after they went to the Super Bowl. No, let him stay in Cincinnati. He belongs in Cincinnati. We got to get our guy, okay? It doesn’t work out. Like I said, Vinnie, it worked out a little bit. He had the great year in 98 and all that. had some success a little bit after that, but you know, outside of him, man, he was never great where he was before he got to the Jets. Remember that. It wasn’t like these other guys who all, you know, their career was with another team. So, uh, I want my own guy. To me, that’s the bottom line. So, Trevor Lawrence becomes available. You don’t want them. Absolutely not. Now, the one the I’m not giving up big a bunch of number ones is what you’re going to give up. Position yourself. That’s right. trading away two of your best defensive players to go take somebody else’s. The the only guy the only guy I differ with you on is Joe Burrow because I think he’s the one guy that could come here once for Joe Burrow injury. Right. And you’ll be screaming when he gets banged up three not even like Aaron Rogers the first play he plays as a Jet stuff. Thank you. Right. Right. I want no part of him. No part of Joe freaking Burrow. Okay. I want my guy. My guy. Get it right. You do to get it right. Get us our franchise quarterback. The only way it really ever works. Okay. I know Matthew Stafford, but he was already good in Detroit. You know, let’s be honest about it. Okay. So, a guy like that, it’s a different kind of situation. Rarely do you see your franchise quarterback as a guy don’t happen with Drew Brees. It did happen with him. It can happen. But that was also another unique kind of situation, right? They had Philip Rivers, whatever you want to say, but it it can happen. I’m not saying that, but the chances of that happening are not not high. Is there anyone as of right now you lean to above everyone else in this draft? Well, I like Mendoza. I think he’s the guy. I think if I had to pick one right now, I think it’s him. I I I I you know, I’ve watched him. I you know what he did in Penn State. That was a that was an NFL winning game-winning drive you did. You know, that’s a tough play. I know Penn State’s is a bad team. The coach is gone. The quarterback’s out for the year. They’re not the same Penn State of, you know, years gone by, but still a tough place to play. And he drove down the field and he looked great. I mean, the kid made a great catch at the end to win the game in the end zone, the toe tap. But at this kid in Oregon, too, man, I watched I watched that game uh on Saturday. I watched the uh the Oregon Iowa game. I was interested to see him play in a tough place to play. I mean, I was not great, but that’s not an easy easy place to play. It was a rainy day and all of that and he wasn’t phenomenal, but with the game on the line when they fell behind, he made some throws. Go see a couple of the throws this kid made where he put the ball in in as tight a window as you could have. Uh and especially on the game-winning field goal drive. He made an unbelievable throw to set it up. So, you know, I’m trying to look at as many guys, you know, I like Simpson. I didn’t watch much of the Alabama game, but I do like him a lot. I still like Sellers from South Carolina. He’s not hasn’t had a good year, but I still like him. I love Arch Manning. No doubt. And I’m tell you, I’m going to give you this guy, too. And he’s small. And this is the problem with him. Diego Pavia out of Vanderbilt. This is This kid’s he reminds me of Mayfield. He’s got big guy owns big time. Uh, you know, he makes all the plays. He’s tough as nails. You know, he got Vanderbilt in a play. They’re eight and two. Vanderbilt in the freaking playoff. He’s I don’t think he’s going to be a firstrounder. If you want him, you can get him later. Yeah, probably. But he but he’s a guy that you know I wouldn’t dismiss him. Tee the size is the problem, right? Obviously that’s the size with him. But you know there’s guys out there but I would say if you ask me right now in this draft I would say Mendoza is probably the guy. One thing about this current team that’s almost becoming comical. They can’t force a freaking turnover. Oh it’s unbelievable that they don’t have an interception. It’s I mean like I was looking it up out of curiosity. What’s what’s the record for the fewest turnovers forced in a full season? And the answer is you want to guess like the fewest turnovers ever forced by a team. It’s got to be four or five. Seven. Seven. Wow. Really? Yes. And is that over a 14game season? That’s over a 16g game season. Was actually done by the 2018 San Francisco 49ers. Wow. They forced seven turnovers. The Jets are on pace to shatter that record and they don’t have an interception. You know, I thought when Field when Fields finally finally threw the pick yesterday, so okay, maybe we’ll get one now. You know, uh it didn’t happen that way. By the way, the other thing I got to throw out there, too. You know, Bree Hall, can we pay this guy? I mean, I I’ve said this before. I didn’t want him gone. This he is the best offensive player we have. You could give me Garrett Wilson forever. We’ve won two games and both of them Garrett Wilson was a complete non-factor. Now, he got hurt again yesterday, didn’t play in the game against Cincinnati, but you know, and was push and it doesn’t help when you got a quarterback that can’t throw the ball. I mean, that doesn’t help it either. But this is our best player offensively and they should pay this kid. I mean again and throw the ball to him more than once. They don’t do it enough for some reason. They throw him a screen pass finally and he looked like Tiki Barber running running by the defense. Uh in the old days, you know what I mean? So I mean I want to see that. He was good. And it sounded like after the game cuz I was listening to Aaron Glenn’s press conference uh about Breeze Hall. He it he loves the kid. Yeah, it’s just a matter of getting on the same page of what the number is going to be because a week ago we were talking about how Bree Hall might want out of this Jet situation and why didn’t you trade me at the trade deadline but then you turn around and when it matters you’re feeding him and he performs that that deserves it and he’s not old. He’s 24 years old and he’s going to be a young quarterback next year and you want to supply that guy with as many weapons as possible. You definitely do. And we got to get Garrett Wilson healthy and we got to get another receiver on the other side. You know, I if you’re going to use mechi like they did, do I need to see you reverse 20 yards behind thousands? I mean, come on. And and by the way, too, how much f tell me tell me you didn’t go nuts with this. Think about this now. All right. First of all, Kevin Stfansky, I’ve heard Jet fans, oh, I like you like Kevin Stfansky. Okay, let’s look at the last two minutes of this game. They got a fourth and one, right? They’re down 2720. They’re running the ball down our throat. Let’s be honest about it. And what does he do on fourth and one? He throws a pass and McDonald sacks the guy. Sacks the quarterback. What are you doing? And then they Here we are. Third and 16. This is so jetlike. Third and 16. They got a defensive holding penalty to give us a first down. And then with the game on the line, four third and five, right? Third and five. You know, they’re not they’re not running the play. I mean, you knew they weren’t running the play there. and and the guy jumps offside to end the game for us. I’m like, “Wow.” I mean, this is why the Cleveland Browns are the Cleveland Browns as well. It felt like we were on the reversal for the first time ever. We were watching the Jets lose a game the way we normally lose a game, right? It was nice to see. It was. And one other guy I want to throw out there and that’s Isaiah Williams because he was a big factor in the Bengal game. He was a big factor in the passing game in that game. And like I said, with the way Fields played, nobody could have been a big p factor in a passing game in this game. But this kid taking it to the house on that punt return. Uh they got something with him and I want to see him involved more in the offense. I I I have to say that. No doubt. Well, let’s see if they could shock the world Thursday cuz nothing will be sweet to them. Like I said, don’t expect, you know, these next two games are going to be very tough to win. And as I said, the team are well coached, man. If Right. And if this was when if this was a Sunday game, Ev, if this game was Sunday, I’d feel better about their chances to win it because maybe you’re catching, you know, like I said, the the Patriots have won seven in a row, a big win in Tampa. Maybe you catch him a little bit of a let down, you know, but playing on Thursday on a road, that’s almost impossible. Going to be rough. Going to be rough. Thank you, Joe. Great talking to you, man. All right, guys. God bless. All the love. The great Joe Baningo. [Music]

Evan & Tiki are joined by the legendary Joe Benigno to break down the Jets’ second straight win — and Joe is fired up! He praises the defense, calls out fans who want to tank, and explains why winning matters more than draft position. Joe also sounds off on Justin Fields, Breece Hall, and what the Jets should do at quarterback next season. Classic Joe Benigno passion — unfiltered, honest, and hilarious!

Chapters:
0:00 Joe Benigno Joins Evan & Tiki
1:00 Joe Reacts to Jets Beating the Browns
3:00 The “Winning Is Cool” Rant
6:00 On Breece Hall, Defense, and Coaching
9:00 Joe’s Take on Drafting a QB vs Trading for One
12:00 Who Joe Likes in the 2025 NFL Draft
15:00 Can the Jets Keep It Rolling?

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