In what was the biggest game of his young NFL career, Jets quarterback Zach Wilson came up very short. If he didn’t feel like he let down the defense vs. the New England Patriots, then he definitely won’t agree with the below QB comparison.
Gang Green lost in gut-wrenching fashion on Sunday, which was the team’s 14th straight loss to New England. In a game where the Jets scored just three points, the lack of effectiveness on offense was on full display. The second half was especially terrible, but overall, New York gained just 103 yards in Foxboro.
Wilson didn’t turn the ball over, which is great, but he didn’t do much of anything else with the ball in his hands, either. The second-year signal-caller completed just 9-of-22 passes for 77 yards, along with rushing the ball three times for 26 yards.
We’ve already talked about how Wilson’s Year 2 quarterback leap hasn’t happened yet, and it’s getting worse. Wilson has now racked up 20 NFL starts. Here’s how some of his numbers compare to NFL bust JaMarcus Russell:
Zach Wilson's 1st 20 career starts are a little too close to JaMarcus Russell's for comfort
1st 20 Starts
Russell Wilson
Yds/att 6.2 6.3
TD-Int 15-13 13-16
Passer rtg 70.6 70.7— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) November 21, 2022
Oh, no.
For those who need a refresher, the Oakland Raiders took JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He spent parts of three seasons with the Raiders before they cut bait. Russell completed 52.1% of his 680 career pass attempts, which also included 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
It’s clear to see why the 2009 season was Russell’s last taste of NFL action. In 12 games (nine starts), he completed just 120-of-148 passes for 1,287 yards with three touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also fumbled the ball nine times.
Wilson, of course, was taken second overall by the Jets during the 2021 NFL Draft. These two situations are very different, but no pro quarterback wants to be on the same list as JaMarcus Russell (no offense to Russell).
He’ll get another chance in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. But with a 6-4 record and their playoff lives hanging in the balance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wilson on a short leash this Sunday.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
