It is Zach Wilson time again for the New York Jets.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilson will get the start for the Jets against the Detroit Lions on Sunday after quarterback Mike White was not cleared for contact by the team’s doctors.
White was injured after taking a couple of big hits to the chest and ribs against the Buffalo Bills but still felt there was zero doubt he would play against the Lions. But the team’s doctors have other ideas.
That means the Jets will have to turn back to Wilson who lost his starting job following an ugly 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots a month ago. During that game, Wilson threw for just 77 yards and did not take any accountability after the fact. When asked if he felt like he let the team’s defense down with his second-half performance, he was dismissive of the question.
That resulted in the Jets turning to White for the next three games.
The Jets won only one of those games and have dropped each of the past two games. It’s a very small sampling of games, but White has outplayed Wilson so far this season, and had it not been for the injury there is little doubt the Jets would have stuck with him.
But now the offense goes back into the hands of Wilson, who desperately needs to win back his teammates and regain the trust of the coaching staff.
The No. 2 overall pick from the 2021 draft, Wilson has struggled in his young career with a 70.7 passer rating over his first two years, while only throwing 13 touchdowns to 16 interceptions.
Sunday’s game is a huge game with massive playoff implications for both the Jets and Lions.
Detroit is one of the hottest teams in the NFL and has climbed back into serious wild-card contention in the NFC, while the Jets enter the week just outside the AFC playoff picture after a strong start. It is a huge, nearly must-win game for both teams.
The Lions are getting great quarterback play at the moment from Jared Goff, while nobody should have any idea what to expect from Wilson given his play this season and the fact it is his first game in nearly a month.
