Thursday night’s game was one to forget for the Jets, and in particular for second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. The 23-year-old was booed by the home crowd at MetLife Stadium throughout the evening and ultimately benched in favor of former practice squad quarterback Chris Streveler during the team’s 19–3 loss against the Jaguars.
Boos came early and often from the Jets fanbase as the offense amassed just 66 yards of offense and three first downs in the first half. When Wilson threw an interception on a desperation heave just before halftime, the stands erupted once again.
Though not what he wanted to hear, Wilson admitted that he couldn’t fault the loyal fans for their reaction.
“Yeah, it’s [tough],” Wilson said of the booing fans. “I don’t blame them. We have a passionate fan base, and they’re here to watch us score touchdowns. We’re not scoring touchdowns, we’re not getting first downs, we’re not moving the ball and, obviously, we can’t throw the ball. Of course they’re going to be frustrated.”
Wilson completed just nine of his 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception, finishing his abbreviated stint with a dismal 5.2 QBR. He was removed him by coach Robert Saleh with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter for Streveler, who was elevated from the practice squad hours before kickoff.
When asked why he couldn’t seem to find success, Wilson admitted that he was struggling to find confidence during his time on the field.
"Man, I don't know," he said. "I just felt like I didn't have any rhythm out there. [I was] just trying to find some confidence out there on the field, just find something to get us going -- a little spark. I couldn't get anything there, man.
“Yeah, it’s tough and I’m working my way through it,” Wilson added. “But I have to be optimistic here. I believe in myself, regardless if anyone else does.”
Thursday wasn’t the first time that Wilson has struggled in his sophomore season, nor was it the first time that Saleh looked down the depth chart to replace him, having previously turned to Mike White for a spark. However, the second-year Jets coach maintains that fans in New York “haven’t seen the last” of Wilson with the Jets.
“He’s gotta keep working,” Saleh said in his post-game press conference. “We haven’t seen the last of him. But, right now he’s just gotta focus on finding ways to get better. We gotta find ways to help him. … We’ve got to do a lot, it’s not just him. It’s a collective whole, we’ve all gotta find ways to get better.”
With the loss, the Jets playoff chances took a significant hit. New York is 1.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the AFC playoff picture with games against the Seahawks (7–7) and Dolphins (8–6) remaining.
