The New York Jets got back to their winning ways in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills and our expert writers Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden Jr and Michael Obermuller are back to break it all down.
This week will focus on the updated goal for 2022, what to hope for from Zach Wilson, bounce-back performances, this week’s rookie belt contender, and this Jets defense’s elite ceiling.
Most recent mailbags:
- Week 63: Playoff hype vs fool’s gold, contract extensions & Week 6 predictions.
- Week 64: Elijah Moore’s disappearance, Bryce Hall trade rumors & Week 7 predictions.
- Week 65: Replacing Breece Hall, Elijah Moore’s request & Week 8 predictions.
- Week 66: Week 8 miscues, the NFL trade deadline & Week 9 predictions.
Jets Keep Winning, Goals Keep Changing?
1. After this win, there’s no denying that Jets fans should have playoff aspirations. What is the UPDATED ultimate goal for 2022?
Boy Green:
I think the question says it all. Before the year started, a lot of expectations hovered around improved play, competing in games, and maybe making a run in 2023.
The Jets are a year ahead of those expectations and their updated goals from the outside looking in should be the postseason. This win makes the Jets unquestioned contenders and the rest of the league better watch out because a great defense with special teams and a run game travels.
The Jets can beat any team in the NFL with that patented strategy.
Obermuller:
I think the updated ultimate goal becomes winning the AFC East.
Some “wild” theories had the Jets winning 10 games and making the postseason as a wildcard in 2022 but literally no one had them a half-game back of the Bills with the tiebreak in hand.
Head coach Robert Saleh said it himself — to the people inside the locker room, these wins aren’t surprising. The Jets believe they can win the division and fans should start following suit.
2. Media members asked Coach Saleh if the Jets have the best defense in the NFL. He declined to comment but what do you think? Are Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed the best cornerback duo in the league?
BG:
I mean, point out the weakness. RHETORICAL QUESTION! There is no weakness, this is a bullet-proof unit that has elite playmakers at every level of this defense!
Saleh may not want to proclaim that from the rooftops but I have no problem doing so! This defense has multiple Pro Bowlers on it and this is a championship unit that can be the backbone of this team for the next decade.
MO:
I’ll start with the latter half of the question, and the answer has to be yes. When you look around the league, there are a lot of talented number-one cornerbacks but having two number-ones is rare.
Patrick Surtain lost Ronald Darby to injury in Denver, Trevon Diggs is missing a lockdown accomplice in Dallas, and Byron Jones and Xavien Howard can’t seem to stay healthy with Miami. The closest competitors are probably Darius Slay and James Bradberry in Philadelphia but I’ll take Gardner and Reed who appear to be entering their prime.
Having said that, there’s no reason this cannot be the best defense in the NFL behind the strength of the secondary and the depth of the pass rush. With key veterans at linebacker and safety, there aren’t too many gaps here.
I don’t think they’re number one yet, the Cowboys have impressed me as well as the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers among others like the New England Patriots or Denver Broncos, but they’re probably a top-five unit that has the potential to keep rising.
Individual Performances That Stole the Show in Week 9
3. The Jets seem to win the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week belt like clockwork. They have three clear contenders that made huge plays in Week 9 (Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson), who is your Jets’ rookie of the week?
BG:
Can we split it? Is it possible for a three-way tie?
I think I’m going with Jermaine Johnson to win his very first one. That sack on Josh Allen was a game-changing play.
Jermaine Johnson the rookie edge rusher gets the sack 💪🏻
Allen has made defenders look silly in situations like that but “J.J.” wasn’t having it with an emphatic superstar play to sack the dynamic QB. Since it seems Jets fans control this award with Jets Twitter being undefeated and all, I think we can pick and choose who wins this one.
Sauce and Garrett have each won two belts, I think it’s time for J.J. to get his due, and deservedly so. This kid is a freaking building block of the future and an absolute stud.
MO:
I’ve been a big-time Johnson “stan” since the combine, maybe sooner, so I can get behind that plan from Boy Green.
If I’m being completely honest though, it’s got to be Gardner once again. Not only did he have a momentum-changing interception but he and Reed subdued Buffalo’s second-most important weapon behind Allen — for the most part.
Not only did the rookie hold his own against Stefon Diggs, it felt like he made so many key pass breakups and tackles. Of course, that includes the game-winning stop on fourth-and-long.
4. There were a lot of bounce-back performances against the Bills (Zach Wilson, Denzel Mims, the offensive line, John Franklin-Myers, James Robinson, even Elijah Moore to some extent for doing his job). Name your favorite one.
BG:
It has to be Zach Wilson. So many people doubted him, suggested he should be benched, called him a bust, and said the Jets season is already over. Talk about an overreaction!
Wilson delivered a clutch performance that is sustainable throughout the rest of this season. He was efficient, took the green grass in front of him on several rushing attempts, and played winning football.
This performance won’t put him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — don’t worry, Mike White — but this is the kind of production that can deliver a deep playoff run when you pair it with a strong running game and elite defense.
MO:
I’ll show some love to Denzel Mims. It wasn’t flashy, but the previously banished second-round wide receiver stepped into Corey Davis’ run blocker role on the outside and thrived in the dirty areas of the game once again.
Mims did let a key first-down slip through his fingers — it would have been a difficult catch on a perfectly placed rope from Wilson — but he made up for it later by holding onto a first down in the red zone. In both Weeks 8 and 9, redemption was spelled M-I-M-S.
5. We’re back even at 6-3 after a CONFIDENT Boy Green predicted the Bills upset in Week 9. Unfortunately, there’s no game in Week 10 with the upcoming bye so we’ll switch up this final question. What do you need/want to see from Zach Wilson in the second half of 2022?
BG:
I just want to make it clear that even though there isn’t a game this week, I’m still taking the Jets to win. Okay back to the question at hand here, I want to see an evolution.
What Zach did versus Buffalo can win a lot of games, but there will eventually be times when the run game is lacking or the defense can’t get a stop and they’ll turn to Wilson to deliver. I think his confidence will continue to soar and when that moment hits, Wilson will show why he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
I don’t care what anyone says, Wilson has superstar potential and he is so close to everything clicking. You guys can keep this freaking receipt — by the end of the season, Wilson will be an unquestioned top quarterback in this league.
MO:
I doubted this offensive line — and Wilson to some extent — when I picked Buffalo to run away with this one in Week 9. In the end, both got the job done as New York got back to pounding the rock.
Side note: A credit to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur who responded to the Week 8 criticism with a much better game plan this week.
From Wilson, I really just want to see more of the same. It might be a boring answer but it’s enough for me in 2022. Don’t try to do too much, complete the short check-downs with accuracy, and continue to learn this offense inside and out.
Wilson really exploded during his third season at BYU. That’s how long it took him to master the offense according to him. If he can do that at the NFL level in 2023, the Jets are Super Bowl contenders.
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Jets Analyst Makes Bold Statement on Zach Wilson: ‘Keep This Freaking Receipt’