That’s the Jets’ dream anyway. Their unexpected entry into the playoffs this season has been overshadowed at times by the second-year quarterback’s struggles. Instead of the young star leading them to a winning record, the team benched Wilson because they thought Mike White was an upgrade. They then had to return to Wilson when White was injured.
There’s still time for Wilson to become a great quarterback. See how Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen and others fared in their third season. It kicks off Thursday night with the Jets’ huge game against the rising Jacksonville Jaguars.
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The 7-7 Jets can make the playoffs. They need to start winning, and for that Wilson to play well. A lot awaits him in these three weeks.
Zach Wilson vs. Trevor Lawrence
This was supposed to be a fun matchup between the #1 and #2 overall picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, the two players are on vastly different paths. Trevor Lawrence looks like a star and since early November he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Wilson had to inflict injuries on White in order to have a chance to face Lawrence.
Wilson started last week against the Detroit Lions and his stats looked good. He had 317 yards and two touchdowns. He showed off his arm talent on a few plays. But the same old problem persists.
Wilson threw terrible interception He seemed to have completely misread the report. And he wasn’t precise enough, especially on easy throws, which is a must for his NFL quarterback who is capable. Wilson missed his target last week on his 35.3% of passes. This was even worse than his 35% mark against the New England Patriots in a benched game. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Wilson simply wasn’t good enough. He can make a scramble play when everything breaks and then you can see his immense athleticism. It’s clear he hasn’t won in the locker room either.
It will be especially hard to see the difference between Wilson and Lawrence on Thursday night, as the end of two seasons is nearing. I am recording. He was dominant against the Dallas Cowboys last week. It’s easy to imagine him winning his MVP in the next few years.
The Jets never shot Lawrence, so they can’t regret letting him go. But one team has an exciting young quarterback with a bright future. The Jets have a lot of questions.
Jet, Jaguar has a lot of lines
Thursday night is a big game for the Jaguars and Jets.
With 3 of 4 wins, the Jaguars suddenly found themselves in the AFC South Race. They’re 6-8 and one game behind the 7-7 Tennessee Titans, who he beat once and has a Week 18 matchup at home against Tennessee. The Jaguars need to stay in the game against the Titans until Week 18, and a win over the Jets would be a big step towards that.
The Jets had a great start with a 5-2 start, but they keep slipping. They’ve lost 4 of 5 since their big win over the Buffalo Bills just before goodbye week. Wilson was off the bench because the offense wasn’t good, and White made some plays, but the Jets weren’t winning. White took a lot of punishment in his two-week-old rematch with the Bills and hasn’t played since.
In a perfect world, Wilson would be fine from Thursday night and White would never start for the Jets again. What they have seen so far has been disappointing. There is still time to turn around.
The Jets hope that will coincide with making a late-season push toward the playoffs.