If Zach Wilson's game against the Texans is his last Jets appearance, good -- he deserves this moment
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Good for Zach Wilson. He needed this. He deserved this. Every second of this.
From the cheers that serenaded him as he took the field from those braving the torrential rain at MetLife Stadium. The hugs and celebratory slaps from teammates as he converted big play after big play for the Jets. The performance itself, 27-of-36 passing (75%) for 301 yards with a pair of touchdowns, one that coach Robert Saleh described as the “best game of his career.”
This doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. But for a quarterback dragged so often, blamed for so much, the scapegoat for a team that can’t ever get out of its own way -- good for him.
“He balled,” said wideout Garrett Wilson. “Zach went crazy today.”
There wasn’t a moment where you realized Sunday was going to be different for Zach Wilson. That’s because he was so consistently good. The passes that often float so dangerously close to disastrous repercussions were extinct. Play after play, Wilson put the Jets in the right position. He married everything this staff asked of him -- boring football, smart football, aggressive football.
The result was a quarterbacking performance that the Jets haven’t seen in a calendar year. There was Wilson’s across-his-body, a 25-yard gain to Garrett Wilson on third down. The two impressive passes down the seam to Tyler Conklin for first downs. The touch pass to Jeremy Ruckert. The touchdowns to Randall Cobb and Breece Hall. Those will dominate highlights. But Wilson also checked it down where he had to, hitting plays for gains of four, five and six yards regularly to keep New York in front of the chains.
Those were just as important. Those set up those highlights. More impressive -- Wilson did it all in the face of consistent pressure and without the aid of the run. The line allowed 15 pressures, five sacks and two quarterback hits, according to TruMedia. Wilson was 8 of 11 for 81 yards when pressured. Dalvin Cook and Hall combined for just 50 yards on 17 carries.
“He was taking some risky throws and making them,” Hall said. “When quarterbacks are doing that -- they’re on.”
Wilson had a blemish -- a fumble that led to a Texans touchdown. Even that didn’t matter. He responded by marching the Jets 75 yards in 10 plays on their next possession. That touchdown, a 3-yard pass to Hall, ended any hope of a Texans comeback. This was everything the Jets hoped to see from Wilson. The accuracy that made him so special at BYU was finally there on the NFL stage. The arm strength and throwing angles that dazzled scouts during the pre-draft process were evident as well. Wilson’s had moments before -- against the Bucs his rookie year, the fourth quarter against the Steelers in Year 2, the game against the Chiefs earlier this season.
But none of those performances were like this. While the Jets didn’t score, Wilson still played well in the first half, completing 9 of 15 passes for 92 yards.
“He's confident,” said cornerback Sauce Gardner. “You can just tell he was playing for the man next to him. He was playing for his brothers.”
Few in the NFL have endured as much as Wilson since the Jets selected him second overall. Some of that is his own doing. The Jets likely should have had him sit and watch to begin his career, but that doesn’t erase his on-field struggles. His lack of accountability in 2022 turned many in the locker room off. There’s a reason why the Jets went out this offseason hell-bent on finding his replacement. Whether they said it publicly or not -- that was admitting they got it wrong with Wilson.
That’s hard for anyone to handle -- especially a 24-year-old. It’s why few would have blamed Wilson for going into his shell when the Jets turned away from him again three weeks ago, believing that Tim Boyle could provide a spark. Instead, Wilson kept working. He kept fighting. The Jets came to him with the chance to start again this week. Reluctant or not, he took the job back.
And what a response this was.
“He’s a really special talent,” Garrett Wilson said. “It’s all about confidence and he’s got that.”
This isn’t a Cinderella story. The Jets and Wilson will likely go their separate ways at the end of the year. The team will probably look to trade him, hoping that someone sees this performance as a sign they can get from Wilson what the Jets have not these two-plus years. They’ll likely release him if not. This Jets season will probably still fall short of the postseason -- a sad case of too little, too late. This game will end up as nothing more than a small note in a year most can’t wait to forget.
But on this day, it does matter. It does mean something. The hordes of teammates who flocked to Wilson as the seconds ticked off the lock evident of that. Quinnen Williams came up to him in the locker room, hugging Wilson before he headed for the shower. Tony Adams, too. They know everything he’s been through, endured. They appreciate this for him.
And Wilson should enjoy this -- every minute of it. Aaron Rodgers is fighting to return. He wants to play as long as the Jets have some mathematical chance. Saleh said not to “hold your breath” on Rodgers’ chances of going against the Dolphins. But a week after that against the Commanders is still on the table.
If this is the last fans see of Wilson, or one of the last times fans see Wilson -- good. There have been few true highs during his tenure here. This is undeniably one.
“I couldn’t be happier for him,” said Conklin.
