The New York Jets were off to the races coming into the game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, winning four in a row on the back of some solid defense and an explosive running game.
This week, however, they ran into a buzzsaw in the form of their AFC East rival.
The Pats took advantage of the absence of Jets rookie running back Breece Hall, and made second-year quarterback Zach Wilson beat them with his arm. While Wilson showed flashes of potential at times, it was also apparent that his decision-making and accuracy were erratic at best. The Jets’ signal-caller put the Jets into bad positions over and over again Sunday, and ultimately turned the ball over four times between three interceptions and a poor turnover on downs.
This is starting to become a boiling point for the Jets, as Wilson was drafted No. 2 overall last year to be the franchise quarterback of the future, and had hopes of his development starting to peak over the horizon by now. But it’s difficult to say there’s been much improvement from what was a mixed bag of a rookie season, where once again Wilson showed plenty of flashes, mixed with poor play and turnovers.
Zach Wilson has 3 INTs today 😶
(via @Patriots)pic.twitter.com/SUeqgoRDZU
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 30, 2022
In the three games prior to Sunday’s loss, Wilson hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass, and in the games he has thrown one this year. he has thrown more interceptions with his questionable decision-making. It appears clear that the Jets have limited what they’re asking of him, with the help of an excellent zone run scheme. But when that’s taken away from him, it’s obvious he struggles to make the correct decisions, and keeps turning the ball over.
In a league where having a franchise quarterback you can trust is imperative, and with a potentially stacked class of passers coming into the 2023 NFL draft, it may be tough for the Jets to avoid the conversation about drafting another one.
This front office has built an excellent team through the draft over the past couple of years, and it feels like at this point, they’re one key piece away.
Unfortunately, that piece just happens to be the most important one.
If Wilson doesn’t show huge improvements over the rest of the 2022 season, the harsh reality is that the Jets might be better off looking for his replacement in next year’s draft.
