Can Zach Wilson Lead the Jets to the Playoffs?
No one believed that Zach Wilson would be the starting quarterback for the New York Jets this season. Not even Zach Wilson. After a rough first two years in the league the former No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft was relegated to backup duty for a future hall of fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Just four plays after the season started, Wilson was back starting.
The first few games were extremely rough for Wilson. He managed to get a big win for the team over the Bills in that first game but then struggled immensely in the next two games and losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Wilson struggled to the point where the Jets brought in another quarterback, Trevor Siemian, and it seemed he was one more bad game from being benched again.
That next game against the Kansas City Chiefs was arguably his toughest opponent yet but Wilson had his best game of the year. He put the Jets in a position to win the game, being tied halfway through the fourth quarter but they ultimately lost by just three.
The statline for Wilson was great. He completed 28/39 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. This gave Jets fans and coaches some hope and comfort that he can be a solid quarterback on a good team.
The burning question though is if Zach Wilson can lead the Jets to the playoffs? Right now the Jets have just one win on the season. They also play in arguably the best division in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots. Their next game though is against another one-win team in the Denver Broncos. They have to beat them or things may get ugly.
The Jets game following that is against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and they also have to play the Chargers soon after that as well as their division opponents. For Wilson to lead the Jets to the playoffs he has to be their quarterback and if they lose next week and then the next to Philadelphia, he may not even be the starter.
Winning one of those two games likely means Wilson will hold this job for a while. The Jets will need to likely win at least eight more games after those two out of the then 11 remaining games, if not more than eight, to total 10 or more wins on the season.
It will be a tall task for Wilson to get the Jets to the playoffs but after his week four performance it seems more likely.
By Jack Stradley, I’m a sports writer always looking for a gripping story and a hot take.