Some players may lose a piece of themselves when they are benched, particularly early in their careers. After being benched four weeks ago, nobody knows how the rest of Zach Wilson’s career will pan out. On Thursday night, Wilson’s difficulties reached a new low.
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At MetLife Stadium, the turf was sodden by a constant downpour. The Jaguars easily defeated the Jets 19-3 as the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Trevor Lawrence, completely outperformed the No. 2 pick. Jets coach Robert Saleh decided to bench Wilson in the third quarter in favor of Chris Streveler, who had been called up from the practice squad for this particular game.
Saleh acknowledged that confidence is a concern with Zach Wilson. “He’s in it right now.” Said that he we haven’t seen the last of Wilson and that he believes he’ll work hard to fix it.
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) December 23, 2022
With the former CFL star at the controls, New York’s offense appeared much more powerful, amassing 73, 36, and 40 yards on the drives he directed. The Jets’ longest drive was 23 yards while Wilson was in charge.
Zach Wilson takes accountability after another poor performance
The 23-year-old Wilson sounded much more modest than he did in Week 11 when he denied that his performance on defence contributed to the Patriots’ 10-3 victory over them.
Wilson said, “I need to examine myself in the mirror. I have to watch this tape, and you have to be tough with yourself and just ask, ‘Why aren’t we moving the ball?’ I’ll be the first to do that.”
Wilson continued, “I believe it’s anything; you’re just trying to find some confidence on the field. Just the ability to feel like things are there—rhythm, flow, confidence—is all I’m attempting to achieve. For myself, I haven’t been able to locate that. That is the aim.”
Wilson’s 2022 season has been a rollercoaster ride. He missed the first three games of the season due to a meniscus tear sustained during the preseason. When he returned, Wilson displayed many of the same flaws that plagued him as a rookie, such as his inaccuracy and inability to play well inside the pocket.
The Jets QB threw for 1,279 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing an NFL-worst 55.6% of his passes in his first seven starts this season, despite a 5-2 record.
