Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson evading the Detroit Lions defense.
On Sunday, December 18, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson returned to the starting lineup for the first time in a month.
During the game versus the Detroit Lions, there were some incredible highs and some incredible lows.
With the Jets down 7-0 early in the second quarter without much inspiring offense to that point, Wilson pulled out a homerun ball that tied up the game.
With 14:16 on the clock in the second quarter, Wilson faked the handoff rolled out to the left, turned back to his right, and fired a rainbow shot from the Lions 48 yard line all the way to the 10-yard line.
Veteran tight end CJ Uzomah was on the receiving end of a 40-yard touchdown strike that tied up the game.
.@ZachWilson throws across the field to @cj_uzomah for a 40-yard @nyjets TD!
📺: #DETvsNYJ on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/nW0d7KOLXR
Rodger Sherman from the Ringer said that throw looked like the same exact one that caught everyone’s eye back at Wilson’s BYU Pro Day.
Zach Wilson Had Some Splash, but Also Some Failure in Jets Loss
Wilson throughout the contest had several explosive passing plays deep down the field.
The former BYU product had 317 passing yards, two touchdowns, and averaged over 9.1 yards per toss.
- 40-yard touchdown strike to Uzomah
- 50-yard pass to Jeff Smith
- 33-yard pass to Garrett Wilson
Zach Wilson makes a huge throw with one second left!
📺: #DETvsNYJ on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/nW0d7KOLXR
As exciting as those splash plays were for the Jets, they were marginalized by Wilson’s overall inaccuracy throughout the contest.
Wilson went 18-of-35 from the field which translates to a 51 percent completion percentage. Too often the 22-year-old was missing the same layup throws that have plagued him in the past.
The Zach Wilson experience
Back to back snaps
Bailed out by Michael Carter
Josh Norris pointed out some of the wild inconsistency on a snap-to-snap basis on Twitter.
Inexplicably Wilson lofted a soft ball right to a Lions defender for his only turnover of the game. The Jets scored three points at the end of the half and were looking to double-dip in the second half.
Picked! @Lions are deep into Jets territory following the turnover. #OnePride
📺: #DETvsNYJ on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/nW0d7KOLXR
Zach Wilson Gets Another Whack at Jets QB Pinata
While it seems like Jets fans were split on the results of the Wilson performance in Week 15, he is going to get another whack at the pinata whether you like it or not.
On Sunday, December 18, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said that injured Jets quarterback Mike White is out for “at least two weeks.”
That means Wilson is going to get his second straight start on Thursday Night Football versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
White has three rib fractures according to Rapoport and with that is out “at least” for the Lions and Jaguars games. There is a fear it could be even longer.
The Jets lost a must-win game versus the Lions which means they no longer control their own destiny as it pertains to the NFL playoff picture.
So at a minimum, the Jets will have to win out just to give themselves a chance with three games left to play.
That will start on Thursday against a red-hot Jaguars team. It also means we’ll get the a quarterback matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks respectively from the 2021 NFL draft in primetime.