Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen talking pre-game.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has caught a lot of heat since returning from his knee injury in the preseason. The most violent of which came after his first loss as the starting quarterback for the green and white this season.
There is no ‘I’ in team but there certainly are multiple ‘I’s’ in interception and Wilson ended up with three of them versus the New England Patriots. Head coach Robert Saleh described those as “backbreaking” this week and said they can’t happen if the Jets want to win football games.
Wilson got lit up this week on social media by fans and media analysts alike and interestingly enough the former BYU passer had a surprisingly staunch defender.
Bills QB Josh Allen Gives Jets QB Zach Wilson Some Key Advice
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen makes weekly appearances on Kyle Brandt’s podcast and was asked about Wilson’s struggles:
“I think it’s a guy trying to make a play [in reference to the interceptions Wilson threw] and I was [in] that same position. I threw three picks against the Patriots [in] my second year and that’s kind of the game where it all clicked for me after that game, so you can take that for what it is.
I’ve had a lot of different talks with Zach along the way. He is such a good dude and I do really appreciate how he is as a person. He’s a guy that guys can get behind and really follow. Sometimes it takes a little longer, it took me a while to understand the nuances of this game and trying not to do too much. I think that is what it comes down to, not trying to do too much and allowing you to trust your guys on the field.
I don’t want to give him too much advice you know before we play them. Maybe next week we can have a longer talk. The guy just has to go out there and play football man we can’t think about making mistakes because that’s ultimately when you make mistakes. He just has to go out there and go ball.”
#Bills Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) delivered a strong message to #Jets Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson), ‘I was in same position, I threw 3 picks vs #Patriots in year 2, & that’s where everything clicked for me’ + confirmed they’ve kept in touch: 🎥 @KBBasement #TakeFlight #BillsMafia
Hey if Josh Allen figured it all out after his multi-interception Patriots game, maybe he is predicting a Wilson breakout after his.
Obviously, the turnovers were disgusting, but if you can try to squint past those Wilson had nine explosive plays in the game and showed a lot of chutzpah. If he can clean up that part of his game, as he did in the four other starts this season, the Jets could have the makings of a playoff team.
An Opportunity for Jets to Make a Statement vs. Bills
You’d think the Jets have already made a statement with their 5-3 start to the season when Vegas predicted their over/under win total at just 5.5 games before the season started.
In other words, the Jets have nine more chances this season to smash that Vegas total. However, despite their best start since the 2010 season a lot of folks have squinted at that record.
There have been whispers of playing backup quarterbacks, or beating up a bad Green Bay Packers team, or just plain getting lucky.
On Sunday the time for excuses is over versus the Super Bowl favorite and MVP favorite at MetLife Stadium. If the Jets win this game, a contest no one is giving them a chance in, the entire perception of this team can dramatically change.
That is especially true for their young quarterback.
The Bills have only lost one game all year and it was a 21-19 contest in Week 3 versus the Miami Dolphins. If you want to beat Buffalo you have to score points and with Wilson being the quarterback for the Jets, he will be directly responsible for the output or lack thereof on Sunday.