Much can be said about the New York Jets’ 2022 season. After a 6-3 start to the season, the team has cooled off with one win in their last four games. Quarterback Zach Wilson was benched after an execrable performance in New England in Week 11 and Mike White filled in rather admirably. The Jets went 1-2 in the three games White started. In last week’s loss in Buffalo, however, White suffered broken ribs after several nasty hits. Head coach Robert Saleh declared on Friday that White would miss this week’s crucial game against Detroit and Wilson will start. Now that his three week grounding is over, it’s time to grow up and step up, Zach Wilson.
How We Got Here
Following not just one, but two terrible performances against New England, head coach Robert Saleh benched Zach Wilson. Justifiably so, because Wilson quarterbacked an offense that had a chance to beat the hated Patriots twice. However, Wilson was harassed by the Patriots’ pass rush in both games, and he made decisions that made Jets fans scream at their televisions. The Jets’ coaching staff decided to go with Mike White while deactivating Wilson for three games as he went back to working on fundamentals. Saleh went on record saying Wilson would return to play at some point this season. With White on the shelf due to injury, Wilson has been given a second chance to be “the guy.”
"This is not putting a nail in his coffin. This is not that. It's not even close to that."
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 23, 2022
– Robert Saleh on benching Zach Wilson pic.twitter.com/NGG5uAmL5l
How the Both Sides Can Help
Zach Wilson was chosen as the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. His career to this point has featured a series of some ups, but a lot of downs. Wilson has succeeded in games where the Jets run the ball effectively and he doesn’t commit turnovers. But if the run game is taken away, Wilson tries to do way too much. Performances such as these turns a win into a loss and makes Jets fans into sad pandas.
If I’m offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, I’m running the ball for the next four games and I’m running the ball A LOT. Concurrently, they can get Wilson to use his legs to gain yardage rather than take a sack or throw an interception. The run game should help setup the passing game. Wilson has wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore at his disposal. They have game-breaking ability once they get the ball. What can the defense do? Get the ball back by forcing three-and-outs and forcing turnovers from their opponents. The Jets’ defense has only caused one turnover in their last four games – three of those games have been losses. And the one turnover? It came in garbage time in Week 12 against Chicago.
Time to Grow Up, Zach Wilson
This season, the Jets fanbase has been left wondering how much confidence they have in general manager Joe Douglas’ selection of Wilson in 2021. After a knee injury shortened his preseason, Wilson didn’t make his 2022 debut until Week 4. There, he led the Jets to a comeback win in Pittsburgh. Wilson played well against Miami and Green Bay, but he had shaky performances in wins against Denver and Buffalo. Two disastrous losses against New England – as well as this questionable news conference interaction after the second Patriots game – prompted Saleh’s decision to give Wilson the yank.
.@Connor_J_Hughes: "Do you feel like you let the defense down at all?"
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 20, 2022
Zach Wilson: "No." pic.twitter.com/tiJiTSrFPE
With four weeks remaining in the season and the quarterback who gives the Jets the best chance to win sidelined, it is now up to Wilson to prove he is “the guy” for the rest of this season – and possibly beyond.
The Most Important Four Games of Zach Wilson’s Career
Two big names in 2023 NFL free agency are Lamar Jackson and Jimmy Garoppolo. If Zach Wilson flounders over the course of these next four games, will Douglas have to pay the dreaded “Jets Tax” at Jackson to stabilize the position? Or could he bring in Garoppolo at a discount for his familiarity with LaFleur’s offensive scheme? The next four games will determine if the Jets are playoff bound. They’re also an audition on whether Wilson will be QB1 going forward. It’ll also be a determination if Douglas and Saleh’s high selection of Wilson was justified.
How bad does Zach Wilson want to be a starting quarterback in the NFL? Sunday will be the first in a series of games to see if he does.
Time to grow up and step up, Zach.
