Once again, Wilson did nothing on Sunday night for the Jets, and the team suffered a disheartening 16-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. He did not throw a touchdown for the fourth time in five games, and it has been 36 drives since the Jets last got into the end zone. It is time for a QB change.
Even when NYJ took the lead 9-6 in the third quarter, I never had confidence that the Jets would hold on and win. In a self-fulfilling prophecy, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw a seven-yard touchdown to Michael Mayer, giving the Raiders a 16-9 lead early in the fourth quarter. Still, the game wasn’t over, and Wilson had an opportunity to respond.
While the defense did its best to keep the Jets’ lead intact, it was exhausted from being on the field for most of the game. Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce decided to go for it multiple times on fourth down, daring the tired Jets to stop Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who ended up with 116 yards on the night.
Meanwhile, the Jets’ offense failed when it mattered most. On the first possession in the fourth quarter, Wilson gained a couple of first downs with passes to Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, but the drive stalled, and the Jets settled for another field goal from Greg Zuerlein, who scored all 12 of the Jets’ points with four field goals. His final FG made the score 16-12 with 12 minutes left.
There was still time for the Jets to win. The team received a momentum-shifting gift when Jacobs fumbled the ball, and Ashtyn Davis recovered. Wilson then engineered four first downs that got the Jets into the Red Zone, but he then threw a drive-ending interception on 2nd and 8 at the Raiders’ 20-yard line. The INT was the ballgame for all intents and purposes, even though the Jets got another shot because of NYJ’s stout defense. But a Hail Mary pass with five seconds left fell incomplete, and Las Vegas held on to win 16-12.
The way this game turned out is a microcosm of Zach Wilson’s career–good enough to get his team field goals but not good enough to throw touchdown passes. Yes, I know the team never intended for him to be the starter, and Wilson only got the nod after Aaron Rodgers went down in Game 1. Still, the reality is that Wilson has not been able to respond because he is not a good NFL quarterback.
It’s time for the Jets to understand he has had enough chances to write his own story. He hasn’t gotten it done and will likely never will. The 31 games he has played should be enough sample size to come to that conclusion.
The Jets really shouldn’t play him going forward. It’s not fair for the fanbase to keep watching garbage performances on a weekly basis. It’s unfair for the other 52 guys playing behind him. No one needs to see him throw INTs and get sacked because he’s holding on to the ball too long. Perhaps more bothering to me is observing what other teams are doing to respond to quarterback needs.
–In Houston, C.J. Stroud is writing a great story as the Houston Texans rookie quarterback. What a great win he engineered the week before against the Bucs, and on Sunday, Stroud led a six-play, 55-yard game-winning drive in the final 93 seconds that resulted in a 38-yard field goal that gave the Texans an impressive 30-27 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. His 15 touchdowns are why the 5-4 Texans could be a playoff team.
–In Minneapolis, Josh Dobbs has become a revelation after replacing the injured Kirk Cousins as the Vikings QB. On Sunday, Dobbs led the Vikings to a 27-19 victory over the Saints, rushing for one TD and throwing for another. Since coming to Minneapolis, Dobbs has produced five touchdowns and a two-point conversion without throwing an interception. Dobbs’ play has given Vikings fans renewed hope.
–In Chicago, Tyson Bagent has given the Bears a much-needed lift with his competent quarterback play, and the team beat the Panthers last Monday night. Bagent, who played college ball for D-2 Shepherd University, has won two games for the Bears (2-2 overall), and his emergence has given new life to an otherwise downtrodden team.
It’s a shame that Jets GM Joe Douglas has not done his due diligence in getting a quarterback to compete with Wilson. The opportunity to acquire Dobbs was there for the taking, but Douglas didn’t talk to the Arizona Cardinals. That in and of itself should get him fired, not to mention drafting Wilson.
The bottom line is clear: Wilson has all but destroyed the Jets’ chances of making the playoffs. Worse yet, as long as he keeps playing, the Jets don’t have much chance of winning, including next Sunday’s game vs. the Bills in Buffalo (opening line, +6.5). So, let’s see what Trevor Siemian or Tim Boyle can do. They can’t be worse.
Wilson can lose more than games if he keeps playing. Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh and GM Douglas could both be gone at the season’s end, as could many loyal Jets fans. Those are good reasons, among many, why Wlson should never play again for the Jets.
