New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson continues to be the subject of national praise
On a recent episode of “Inside the NFL”, the New York Jets – particularly quarterback Zach Wilson – received praise from former NFL players Chris Long and Chad Johnson.
“You would have thought 3-3, coming out of this stretch with Aaron Rodgers, would be like, ‘All right. This season’s not over… It’s a gauntlet,'” said Long. “You’re 3-3. Zach Wilson is your quarterback, and on the backs of this defense, you can go a long way.”
Adding to the praise, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson said he likes what Zach is doing this season.
“He’s building more and more confidence as the season goes on. We don’t need him to be perfect. We don’t need you to be Patrick Mahomes. We don’t need you to be Superman,” said Johnson.
“But what you are giving us is you’re giving us an opportunity to win because the defense is playing well. Just do us a favor. Don’t turn the ball over. Facilitate. Don’t mess it up, and we will be fine. And that’s exactly what he’s done. ”
"He outplayed Patrick Mahomes."@Ochocinco and @JOEL9ONE think everyone's still sleeping on Zach Wilson @nyjets pic.twitter.com/B38EAyuCpv
— Inside the NFL (@insidetheNFL) October 18, 2023
The assessment of both former players is accurate. Getting to 3-3 is a massive achievement for the Jets, as they were expected to have a record in that range with a healthy Aaron Rodgers. Even without him in the fold, the Jets’ defense gives them a great shot to win many games on their schedule.
While not playing at a high level, Wilson has done enough to keep the Jets in games. He has essentially played at a game manager level, which is something that is helping the Jets compete every week.
The Jets are not a perfect team, even with a phenomenal defense. The offense has a lot of room to improve, especially in the third-down and red-zone departments. If the Jets can improve in those key offensive areas while also continuing their high-level defensive play, they can place themselves in a great position to go on a run.
People quickly forget that Wilson started 5-1 last year arguably outplaying 5 other QBs. The issue has always been how Zach reacts when things go badly. This year he is not playing as well he did the 1st 6 games last year or the last 7 games of 2021 but he is not completely falling apart once he makes a mistake. His high end is certainly lower this year but his floor is much higher. He is playing more consistently but showing more confidence when things go bad. But, essentially there is little difference between this version of Zach and the end of 2021 version and the Zach that started 5-1 last year except he is not as good as those versions.