Zach Wilson gets another shot to show he can lead Jets' offense
Zach Wilson of the Jets throws a pass against the Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 20 in Foxborough, Mass. Credit: Getty Images/Adam Glanzman
The Jets are giving Zach Wilson the football for their biggest game of the season, hoping he has some Mike White magic in him.
Wilson leading the offense in a meaningful December game was the plan until about a month ago. After he struggled and showed no accountability publicly for a dreadful performance in New England, Robert Saleh took the ball away from Wilson and gave it to White.
Now it’s Wilson’s ball again Sunday against the Lions after White was not cleared to play because of rib fractures he suffered in last week’s loss at Buffalo.
To make the playoffs, the Jets (7-6) are in just about a must-win situation for their remaining four games. They’re tied with the Patriots and Chargers, but both are ahead of them because of tiebreakers. The top seven teams make the playoffs, and the Jets are in ninth place in the AFC.
That puts a lot of pressure on Wilson in his return game. If he can’t lead the Jets to a victory over surging Detroit at MetLife Stadium, their chances of reaching the postseason for the first time since the 2010 season will take a huge hit, as will Wilson’s Q-rating in New York.
“If everyone does their job and we rely on each other, the winning and the playoffs takes care of itself,” Wilson said. “That doesn’t need to be the focus. It just needs to be that one-play-at-a-time mentality of playing for the guy next to you.”
No matter how you look at it, this is a huge game for the Jets and for Wilson. No, they won’t be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss, but everyone, including his teammates, needs to see Wilson take a big step as a leader and player.
The lasting memories of Wilson this season were leading the Jets to 2 total yards in the second half in New England in Week 11 and refusing to say he let down the defense after a 10-3 loss decided by a punt-return touchdown in the final seconds.
Wilson was benched and replaced by White, who
moved the offense and spread the ball around. The Jets averaged 420.3 yards of offense and nine players caught passes in two of White’s three starts.
In Wilson’s last three starts, the Jets averaged 266.7 yards of offense. He completed only nine passes the last game and threw for more than 155 yards only once.
Robert Saleh demoted Wilson to third-string quarterback and made him work on his fundamentals while also leading the scout team. Everyone involved believes that was beneficial for Wilson, but the real test comes Sunday.
“I know as a coaching staff we trust him, and I know the team trusts him,” Saleh said. “It’s just everyone doing their part and making sure that we execute at the highest level possible and do the best we can.”
The Jets have dropped two in a row at Minnesota and Buffalo. After Detroit, the Jets will host the Jaguars on Thursday night and end the regular season at Seattle and Miami. The Jets can’t afford many more losses as they face teams that also are fighting for playoff spots.
The Lions (6-7) have won five of their last six games with an offense that has been rolling and a defense that has shown some improvement.
Detroit is next to last in total defense (403.2 yards) and points allowed (26.7). Wilson could end up looking good against this defense if he can shake off the cobwebs and not get caught up in trying to do too much. During the last six games, though, Detroit has yielded 20.3 points and scored 29.3 points per game.
“I think that momentum is a real thing,” Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “I think confidence is a real thing, and they have both right now. We’re facing a very talented team that’s feeling very good about themselves, which can be dangerous.”
Jared Goff has quieted some critics by throwing 22 touchdown passes. Jamaal Williams leads the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns and shares a backfield with playmaker D’Andre Swift. The Lions have talented receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown, D.J. Chark and rookie Jameson Williams.
The Jets have a top-3 defense, but they view the Lions as a challenge.
“They’ve done a good job of putting that team together a lot faster than people thought that they would be relevant,” defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. “Talented as hell on offense. Got playmakers all over the place at receiver, running back, Jared Goff is playing some of his best football. That offensive line is a violent, physical group.”
Rankins, who has played in some important games, including an NFC title game with the Saints, described the magnitude of Sunday’s game as only he can.
“I think to a degree it’s a must-win because if we win, we control our own destiny,” he said. “You always want to put yourself in the best position to be able to achieve everything we want to achieve. The overarching theme is if we take care of business, none of the other [expletive] matters.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
