Despite all the depression from Jets fans over Aaron Rodgers’ Week 1 injury, there was one thing to be optimistic about: New York beat the Bills. They were 1-0 heading into Week 2, and Zach Wilson didn’t look terrible under center at MetLife Stadium.
After losing to Dallas 30-10, we’re unfortunately back to the same conversations we were having last year. Wilson’s overall numbers didn’t look great. He completed just 44.4% of his passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, which led to a quarterback rating of 38.1.
But then again, responsibility for this loss doesn’t solely fall on him. New York was down early, which we can assume is the reason why they mostly abandoned the running game. The offensive line also couldn’t contain the Cowboys’ pass rush. That didn’t give Wilson a ton of time to operate.
However, all of this hasn’t stopped NFL analysts and others in the media from begging the Jets to find another quarterback. Gang Green came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations thanks to Rodgers’ presence under center. It once again looks like the Jets are ready to contend. However, the only thing holding them back is still the quarterback.
Pro Football Hall of Famer turned TV personality, Shannon Sharpe, didn’t mince his words about Wilson’s ability to lead the Jets in 2023.
"I mean the dude couldn't play dead in a horror movie."
"He's like a blind dog in a meat house."
– Shannon Sharpe on Zach Wilson
Ouch. pic.twitter.com/u5wVWX3XMu
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 18, 2023
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Sharpe made the fellas laugh a couple of times with his metaphors here. What he said was harsh, but it’s also not much different than what many others are saying.
The whole point of getting Aaron Rodgers to play quarterback for the Jets was two-fold. It’d allow this loaded roster to actually be a postseason/Super Bowl contender. It’d also give Wilson at least two years of mentoring that he should’ve gotten upon first entering the league. Which, by the way, the Jets publicly admitted should’ve happened.
Wilson once again being the starter in 2023 is not what anybody was expecting or hoping for. But, it’s what the reality is at the moment. We’ll see if New York and Co. can figure something out before it’s too late.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
