The New York Jets have essentially (except for an incremental possibility) eliminated from the playoffs but there is a lot to play for as the New York tried to figure out what the team is going to look like down the road. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is most likely not going to actually play a snap this season as the upside doesn’t seem worth the risk of aggravating or exacerbating his injury. Therefore, New York’s Jets QB has nothing to lose and he certainly thrived in that ‘last stand’ mentality on Sunday afternoon.
Jets QB Makes an Exceptional Stand After a Dramatic Few Weeks
New York quarterback Zach Wilson has been humiliated by his team once again as New York benched him in favor of Tim Boyle last week. After an incredibly unremarkable game against the Atlanta Falcons, Boyle was pushed to the wayside and there was intrigue as to whether or not Wilson would even want to play under the circumstances.
There was substantial misinformation this week as multiple parties denied, defended and attacked Wilson but he ultimately stepped up to the plate and had himself a tremendous game. New York managed to beat the playoff contending Houston Texans 30-6 as Wilson reminded everyone in New York why he was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
For once in his career, Wilson looked confident as he completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns. Not only did Wilson play phenomenally, but he distributed the ball excellently and in repeatable fashion.
The performance was enough for struggling head coach Robert Saleh to make a public comment after the game in recognition of the young quarterbacks performance. “Zach was Unbelievable” Saleh said in the post-game press conference.
Wilson reported came out with a maturity and confidence that was unseen by his teammates until today. “He told me, ‘I’m playing for y’all. I’ve got nothing to lose,'” cornerback D.J. Reed said. “He said, ‘What’s the worst that can happen, I get benched again?’ That’s what he said and that’s the way he played. It showed.”
“He said it early this week: F it. Go out there and have some fun. Leave it all out there.” Guard Laken Tomlinson said after the game.
What was almost equally impressive was that Wilson was able to complete the performance in about thirty minutes of brutal rain. Many quarterbacks have struggled to grip the ball and complete passes in the rain but Wilson managed to sling the ball perfectly throughout the whole contest.
“The flow of just playing football today was there, and I can’t say it’s been like that a lot, unfortunately, in my career here,” said Wilson, who completed 27 of 36 passes with no interceptions. His only blemish was a lost fumble on a scramble.
Wilson made a major statement and this performance will be spoken of for years within the New York Organization as the team tries to decide what to do when superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally does retire. While he has struggled in East Rutherford up until now, this game will keep him in the conversation as the future quarterback of the New York Jets. After all, other quarterbacks have had slow starts and ended up being all-pro players even within the division (looking right at the Bills). Wilson will look to follow that mold.
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