As the New York Jets kicked off their 2024 campaign, the spotlight was on the dynamic connection expected to form between Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson. However, the duo has yet to produce as much as fans expected through the season’s first three games.
Despite Wilson’s quiet start, Jets’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is unconcerned. “A solid offense is when a lot of people are touching the football,” Hackett said on Thursday. “You never want one person to be doing it. You want defenses to be able to cover everyone, and that’s going to free more people up to get big plays.
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“I mean, [Tyler] Conklin had a big game, and he hadn’t seen a lot of touches. Mike [Williams] had some big, key catches, and Allen [Lazard] got a touchdown. That’s what you are looking for.”
Hackett concluded, “When multiple people are scoring, you make the defense cover the whole field. Everything will come. We just have to get better every game.”
Wilson has recorded 15 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown so far this season; his 50.0 yards per game would be a career-low. Part of his low yardage total is due to opponents shading coverage his way, which has led to success for his teammates. However, Wilson and Rodgers have still squandered some good opportunities on plays where they attempted to connect, as the pair does not appear to be fully on the same page yet.
Another key factor in the Ohio State product’s slow start has been the caliber of defenders he’s faced. Wilson has begun the season with difficult challenges against cornerbacks Charvarius Ward, L’Jarius Sneed, and Christian Gonzalez. Wilson’s challenge won’t get any easier this week as he prepares to match up against two-time first-team All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who recently signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension with the Denver Broncos that includes $77.5 million guaranteed.
“It’s just process; you got to try and put him in situations where he can be the number one in the progression, which he is a lot,” Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said about Wilson ahead of Sunday’s contest against the Broncos. “Then mix up the looks, so we got to, you know, do a lot of things to give him a chance to get moving, and we’d like to get the ball to him early, but it’s just a process.
“He’s got to be patient, we’ve got to be patient, we can’t force it. Pat [Surtain II]’s a phenomenal player, but you know, Garrett is too, so it’s going to be a good matchup with those two guys. A lot of respect for Pat, because he plays both sides, plays in the slot, not many star coverage corners do that, so, a lot of respect for Pat.”
As Wilson looks to make a statement, all eyes will be on his battle with Surtain this Sunday.
