Zach Wilson’s games as the New York Jets’ starting quarterback are dwindling after he was pulled in the third quarter of Sunday’s defeat to the Buffalo Bills
New York Jets head coach, Robert Saleh, has refused to confirm Zach Wilson as the team’s quarterback against the Miami Dolphins following the heavy defeat to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The Jets lost to the Bills 32-6 and the game saw head coach Saleh take out starting quarterback Wilson late in the third quarter and put in backup Tim Boyle, effectively the team’s third string QB after Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles injury in Week 1. Saleh’s decision came after Wilson managed 7-of-15 passing for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Wilson also failed to complete a pass to a wide receiver in the loss to Buffalo. Saleh was quick to share the blame across the team and not just target the quarterback – but he did refuse to confirm Wilson as his starter for Black Friday.
“Like I said, it was 29-6, and like I said, like I told Zach on the sidelines, it’s not just him,” Saleh said.
“It’s easy to point the finger at the quarterback, but it’s pretty easy to see you’ve got missed protections, you’ve got dropped balls, you’ve got missed routes.
Obviously, he’s got to get better, there’s things that he could have done a lot better, but it’s everyone now.”
When asked about Wilson failing to find a receiver, Saleh said: “I don’t have an answer for that.
Obviously, we’ll go back and watch all the tape, but like I said, whether it’s separation, being more decisive, protecting — none of it was good enough.”
Wilson has admitted he was left “frustrated” by the decision to bench him but says changes had to be made.
The second overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft has been standing in for the injured Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles four snaps into his competitive debut against the Bills in September.
“Frustrated, but I get it,” Wilson said of Sunday’s benching. “[You] have to score, have to be in games.
When it’s consecutive games of just doing nothing on offense, you know you can sit here and say last week we moved the ball, but we’re not scoring.
It essentially comes down to you have to score. So when things aren’t getting done, change has to be made, and I understand that.”
Zach Wilson was benched in the third quarter of Sunday’s defeat to the BillsThe QB added: “We need to take accountability, and that starts with me — and I’m not getting it done.”
The Jets’ latest loss has given Rodgers a reason not to rush his rehabilitation.
On the current pace, the Jets are likely to miss out on postseason participation, as they have done for over a decade but a couple of wins in the weeks ahead would keep them in contention if Rodgers target of a return to practice on December 2 is to be worthwhile.
Rodgers is determined to return in early December, while Saleh admitted last week that he leave any decision in the hands of the player and the medical team.
“Aaron’s a big boy, a grown man,” Saleh said last Wednesday. “No one’s going to know Aaron’s body like Aaron knows his body. And if he feels, after all the doctors clear him, and I’m sure there’s a million of them, I have no idea on that stuff, but if Aaron says he wants to play, he’s going to play.”
