Enjoy victory Monday New York Jets fans, you deserve it!
It has been a long while since the green and white have been able to enjoy one of these, so savor the moment.
Speaking of, it’s time for our Monday mailbag with our two experts: Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden Jr and Michael Obermuller.
Every week they answer the hottest questions coming off of the weekend and this one was a doozy.
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Zach Wilson Grades, Fact or Fiction?
1. Zach Wilson made his return after a month away, how would you grade his performance?
MO:
I’m a huge Wilson supporter but this wasn’t his best game. His knee definitely did not look 100% and there might have been a little nerves/rust involved too so I’m not necessarily worried long-term but in terms of a fair grade, I’d probably say C+.
He did enough to get the win and he showed more caution in the moments where the play wasn’t there. Mike LaFleur also didn’t take many chances with some very conservative playcalling.
At the same time, Wilson missed a lot of short completions and the turnovers were a bit sloppy (including the late fumble that was knocked out of bounds).
Boy Green:
He was about expected honestly. The guy hasn’t played in a month, only started practicing two weeks ago, Wilson was rusty and looked like a guy that hadn’t played in a while. Oh yeah, he is also a rookie making his seventh start.
The interception was gross and was somewhat unlucky, as Wilson documented in his postgame presser. He missed a few too many easy tosses, but this is a young player with upside who is still growing.
I don’t get the masses of fans who have been overreacting over the last 24 hours. Whether he was amazing or terrible, what his future ultimately becomes is still very much TBD.
There are another six games on the docket and let us hope he can grow and learn from this. I’m still very optimistic about his future. To answer the question his grade was a C-.
2. Austin Walter had a nice pop in this game, is he just a flash in the pan or could he be a guy to watch moving forward?
MO:
I was surprised when I saw Austin Walter would be elevated for Week 12 because it meant he outplayed La’Mical Perine enough in practice to surpass the 2020 fourth-rounder. I was even more surprised when Walter was clearly more effective than Ty Johnson (outside of one long third-down draw).
If not for Tevin Coleman and Walter, the Jets probably lose this game. Still, I’m not sure he’s much more than a one or two-hit wonder. We saw Walter in the preseason and he had a moment or two but overall, he seemed replaceable.
Boy Green:
I was asked this question in my postgame live stream, which I do after every Jets game from the Heavy on Jets Facebook page, my Twitter account, and my YouTube channel (shameless plug).
Walter was uber impressive with a nice burst and made things happen with the holes that were in front of him. Right now I’ll stay in the conservative camp and say it was nothing more than a flash in the pan, however, I am leaving the door open.
With Michael Carter being placed on injured reserve, at a minimum he will miss the next two games, if not more. So Walter should have more chances to get the rock and if he continues to make big plays, keep an eye out for this youngster.
3. In the same vein, is Quincy Williams a long-term building block for the green and white?
MO:
Williams is a different story. Jeff Ulbrich has touted him as a player that’s making the jump from unproven talent to full package linebacker.
He’s got the physical ability, natural instincts, and stone-cold tackling. Now he just needs to continue to learn how to read an offense and play within the system. Similar to Zach Wilson.
Boy Green:
When he was initially signed I think a lot of people thought oh cool nepotism at work. A player that is more well known for being the older brother of Quinnen Williams than anything else.
Yet Quincy has continued to step out of his little brother’s shadow and make a name for himself.
Williams is not a perfect player by any means, he has a lot of faults: can be over aggressive, can get picked on in pass coverage, and doesn’t possess elite fluidity at linebacker. Although instead of looking at what he can’t do, maybe we should look at what he can do.
The former Murray State stud is a heat-seeking missile and he doesn’t care who he hits, as long as he hit someone.
The highlight from the win over the Houston Texans was a third and six play where he was the free rusher screaming down and smacked Tyrod Taylor. Williams has explosiveness, a hard-hit stick, and a relentless motor.
That energy is clearly infectious to the rest of the defense and is great for the locker room. This is another win in the general manager Joe Douglas column. He should be re-signed as soon as possible and at the very least can be a sub-package player for many years to come with the potential to be an everyday starter.
Pro Bowl Predictions, Winning Streak Coming?
4. If only one New York Jets player could go to the Pro Bowl on this year’s roster, who would it be and why? (state your case)
MO:
People may not like the answer but our best player this season has probably been John Franklin-Myers in my opinion. He had the hot start back before his contract extension and then has had consistent quarterback pressures all season since then despite having some quieter weeks in the stat sheet.
In Week 12, JFM was back to his old self, getting home on Tyrod Taylor three times with two sacks and one interception where he batted the ball up to himself. A great response after the crucial roughing the passer penalty last week.
Honorable mention goes to Bryce Hall, who has far exceeded his expectations at cornerback this season.
Boy Green:
I’m going with the obvious here, Quinnen gosh darn Williams is deserving of his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2021.
The former first-rounder is tied for the team lead in sacks with six and he continues to do it with minimal opportunities. Head coach Robert Saleh recently explained at a presser that in his 4-3 system they like keeping their defensive linemen fresh, so no guy plays more than 60 percent of the snaps.
He believes that with this process everyone will always be at their best, if they push consistently above that threshold guys won’t be able to give their full effort. The production backs that up, but it is impossible to dream of what Quinnen could be doing if he got the same amount of reps as the other top IDL around the league.
Williams should have been a Pro Bowler last year, so better late than never this year I suppose. He is dominant and his fifth-year option will be exercised this offseason, before ultimately receiving a fat new extension sooner rather than later.
5. Give me your gut reaction, will the Jets win back-to-back games for the first time this season when they face the Philadelphia Eagles at home in Week 13?
MO:
I mean, the New York Giants just beat the Eagles so anything is possible. I would give Philly the edge right now but they’re far from perfect themselves.
There’s also the Eagles’ curse, being that the Jets have never beaten the Philadelphia franchise in a regular-season outing (they are 11-0-0 all-time). Gut reaction, I’ll say the Eagles win but this should be a competitive football game that’s up for grabs.
Boy Green:
I feel like the Jets found something on the road in Houston, but the proof will be in the pudding as they say.
The Jets won their first road game of the season on Sunday, but this season every win they have had has been followed by a dud performance. They have a chance to flip that narrative on Sunday at home versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles were looking good winners of two in a row before laying an absolute egg versus the New York Giants on Sunday. I think Gang Green gets it done, I claim to be the most optimistic Jets fan on the planet and I’ll stick by that.
This is a very winnable game at home and an opportunity for the Jets coaching staff to show they can be consistent from one week to the next.
Follow @BoyGreen25 & @obermuller_nyj on Twitter for all the latest New York Jets breaking news, rumors, fresh takes and more!
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Experts Provide Jets Pro Bowl Predictions, Chances for Winning Streak