Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson evading some pressure during an NFL game.
Last year New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was a common punching bag for the national media. However, after his impressive finish versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, a lot of people are signing a different tune this week.
Not only did Wilson impress the fans, but he also raised the eyebrows of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff ahead of their Week 5 matchup.
Zach Wilson Is Earning Some Major Respect From Dolphins
In his first regular-season appearance in over nine months, Wilson cooked up some magic to bring the Jets’ record to 2-2 heading into Week 5.
Ahead of that scheduled matchup with the Dolphins, Miami defensive coordinator Josh Boyer was gushing about Wilson as a player and the challenges he will present to his defense:
“He is very athletic and has a very strong arm. It looks like he is making his progression reads quicker and he’s definitely doing a good job with that. In the fourth quarter, they were able to mount a comeback and he was very efficient and accurate with his throws. He made a lot of big-time throws in big situations. He has the ability to get the ball downfield because he has an incredibly strong arm. I would say he’s very athletic and he’s really slippery in the pocket for sure.”
#Dolphins DC Josh Boyer gushed about #Jets QB Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) ahead of the Week 5 matchup, ‘he’s really slippery in the pocket’ + ‘he has the ability to get the ball downfield because he has an incredibly strong arm’: 🎥 @MiamiDolphins #FinsUp #TakeFlight #MIAvsNYJ
While Wilson is incredibly inexperienced with so little game tape, he brings some dynamism to the offense with a rare skill set.
The Jets’ offensive line is beaten up right now and has been snakebitten this season as it pertains to injuries. When veteran Joe Flacco was forced to stand behind the line it more often than not resulted in a total disaster.
Since Wilson entered the lineup he has been able to hide a lot of those issues with his insane mobility and elusiveness.
This upcoming contest versus the Dolphins will be another interesting test on a lot of levels.
How does Wilson handle an experienced defense that likes to throw the kitchen sink early and often? Is he capable of making quick reads and taking advantage of those one-on-one matchups? Or will his affinity for turnovers rear its ugly head?
Another big question on a team level is how do the Jets handle success. Historically speaking after they get a win, they get complacent and lay an egg the following week. The true test to find out whether you are an average team or a good one is the ability to stack together performances.
The Jets had a great finish versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, what is going to happen on Sunday at MetLife Stadium versus the Dolphins?
Will the Real Zach Wilson Please Stand Up?
Which Zach Wilson are we going to get?
As impressive as his finish was in the fourth quarter, things weren’t going as swimmingly through the first three quarters.
As a matter of fact, Wilson was a woeful 8-of-24 heading into the fourth quarter. If that narrative would have continued a lot of people would have put the youngster on blast. Whether fair or unfair.
Instead, we are left wondering when will the real Wilson please stand up?
Will he build off of that stellar performance and allow that fourth-quarter Wilson to be the full-time version? Or was that simply a passing flash?
We have seen other quarterbacks lead fourth-quarter comebacks (Sam Darnold) and then eventually flop. The only way to know for certain is more proof on tape and that opportunity is available on Sunday in a divisional game that actually means something in October.