Getty New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson getting ready to attempt a pass in Week 4 of the NFL.
It finally clicked coach.
Over the last few weeks, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh kept reassuring the media and fans that we’ll eventually see why they selected Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Well on Sunday in the Week 4 matchup vs the Tennessee Titans we finally saw what the team saw in the pre-draft process.
Wilson had the best outing of his career and delivered the Jets their first win of the season.
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The NFL World Reacts to a Stellar Rookie Performance
Through the first three weeks of the season, the NFL got its’ kicks in on Wilson.
He often looked lost, discombobulated, and some people went as far as to say they made the wrong choice going with the rookie over Sam Darnold.
After the team’s Week 4 27-24 overtime victory, there were a lot of people backpedaling.
Lot of folks deleting their Weeks 1-3 Zach Wilson takes right now.
Matt Miller articulated this perfectly and I highly recommend others follow suit and delete their takes before the Jets social media team gets ahold of it.
This was a coming-out party for Wilson, there is simply no other way to put it. Connor Hughes of The Athletic called his game “spectacular” and officially said, “he’s the real deal.”
Although how good was his performance?
Zach Wilson finished 21-37 with 297 yards with 2 tds and 1 pick. Passer rating of 97.3.
Best rookie QB performance of the 2021 class.
DJ Bien-Aime of the New York Daily News said the former BYU stud had the “best rookie QB performance of the 2021 class.”
He was 21-of-34 for 297 passing yards and two touchdowns to one interception (which wasn’t his fault Corey Davis fell on the route).
Those are bold words coming off of a historic draft class that saw five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft:
- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
- Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
- Mac Jones, New England Patriots
After the first handful of weeks, some people thought the Jets made the wrong choice with the No. 2 pick. Well, that seemed over reactionary at the time and it continues to look more so following this fantastic content.
Zach Wilson & Corey Davis (53-yd TD)
Wilson’s pass traveled 56.8 yards in the air, the longest completion by a Jets quarterback over the last five seasons (since 2017).
This was also Wilson’s 2nd completion over 50 yards of air distance today.
Here’s a next-level look at one of the best throws of the game by Wilson and there were several of them. This was an off-script backyard football play where Wilson re-directed veteran wideout Corey Davis down the field and completed a special throw.
On the box score, it was a 53-yard touchdown toss, but when you look beyond that number it is even more impressive. Wilson’s pass traveled “56.8 yards in the air”, which is the longest completion by a Gang Green passer over the last five years.
What’s Next?
Despite the amazing performance both Saleh and Wilson shared the same sentiment following this game, “you aren’t defined by wins or losses.”
It’s about stacking bricks and having short-term memory loss whether it’s a great win or a horrible loss. They have 24 hours to soak this in, watch the tape on Monday, then turn the page.
Up next for the Jets is a road trip to London to play the Atlanta Falcons.
This will be a unique situation for the Jets who are traveling to foreign soil, a different time zone, and facing an extremely talented foe.
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