One week ago, Zach Wilson was being heavily criticized for his three-interception performance in a New York Jets loss to the New England Patriots.
Now, the second-year franchise quarterback is earning some praise for bouncing back with a solid effort in the Jets’ surprising 20-17 victory over the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
It’s a victory that lifts New York to 6-3 heading into its bye week, just a half-game behind the Bills.
What’s being said about the Jets’ shocking win over the Bills?
The race for the AFC East is a tight one as the 2022 season hits the midway point. Every team has a winning record, and only 1 ½ games separates first place from last place.
The Jets defense, in particular, came up big in the win that moved New York to 2-1 in division play.
“New York has difference-makers at every level of its defense, and under (head coach) Robert Saleh’s direction, they’re thriving. Look no further than the 17 points scored by the NFL’s most explosive offense,” NFL.com’s Nick Shook wrote.
After Buffalo took a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter, the Jets only allowed the Bills to cross midfield once in the second half.
New York rookie Sauce Gardner’s third-quarter interception of Josh Allen set up the Jets with a short field for a go-ahead touchdown, and the Jets forced a turnover on downs on Buffalo’s final possession to seal the win.
The Jets sacked Allen a season-high five times.
“Rushing just four players, the Jets created quarterback pressure but still had defenders in coverage to swarm receivers Stefon Diggs (five catches, 93 yards) and Gabe Davis (three catches, 33 yards) enough to hold them without a touchdown catch,” The New York Times’ Derrick Klassen wrote.
“... Saleh does a better job than almost any defensive mind in the league of scheming up twists, stunts, and other funky four-man looks to get free rushers while still only sending his base four guys up front.”
What’s being said about Zach Wilson’s performance?
Wilson, for his part, made few mistakes while the Jets offense was fueled by a rushing game that churned out 174 yards, led by 74 yards from Michael Carter (with a touchdown) and 48 from James Robinson.
“All week coming off the Patriots loss, Wilson was criticized, near and far, with many questioning his viability as the quarterback for a team with playoff aspirations,” The Athletic’s Zach Rosenblatt wrote. “He did his job Sunday, got rid of the ball quickly and didn’t make any back-breaking mistakes. The Jets’ roster is good enough for that to be enough.”
Wilson completed 18 of 25 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown, and he added five carries for 24 yards.
“No one, of course, needed to make a statement more than Zach Wilson, and he made a compelling statement of resilience and mental toughness with all eyes on him: would he show up as a poised leader able to ignore all the bubbling noise about whether he is The Guy and manage himself a game, or would he implode for a second straight week and prevent a team with the kind of defense that Saleh was brought here to deliver from closing this forever gap in the AFC East?” The New York Post’s Steve Serby wrote.
“Zach Wilson’s statement in Jets 20, Bills 17: A 101.1 rating.”
While he did lose a fumble when Buffalo’s Von Miller sacked him in the third quarter to end a promising drive deep in Bills territory, Wilson bounced back and later led the Jets on two scoring drives.
He also outperformed Allen, who completed 18 of 34 passes for 205 yards and two interceptions.
“This was exactly what the Jets wanted to see from young quarterback Zach Wilson. The fact it came off the heels of one of his worst games as a professional quarterback made it all the more sweet,” SNY’s Connor Hughes wrote.
“... He played within the structure of the offense. He took what the defense gave him. If a play wasn’t there to make — he made it. If it wasn’t — he never forced it. Instead, he threw passes away, he took sacks, he scampered to yards himself.
“This is the quarterback the Jets have been waiting to arrive this year.”
How did Zach Wilson look in late-down situations?
The Jets weren’t especially efficient on third down — converting 5 of 13 — but Wilson had a hand in several late-down conversions in critical moments.
In the second quarter, he completed a 5-yard pass to C.J. Uzomah on a fourth and 1 at the Buffalo 32 on the Jets’ first touchdown drive that cut the Bills’ lead to 14-10.
In the third quarter, Wilson scrambled for 5 yards to convert a third and 3 at the Buffalo 12 after New York started a drive at the Bills’ 19 following Allen’s second interception. One play later, Wilson threw his lone TD pass — a 7-yarder to Robinson — to give the Jets a 17-14 lead.
Late in the fourth quarter, Wilson completed a 12-yard pass to Denzel Mims on a slant route on a third and 5 at the Buffalo 18 to send the game into the two-minute warning. That forced Buffalo to use all three of its timeouts before New York took the lead on a 28-yard field goal with 1:45 to play.
“He kept his composure throughout the week and he kept his composure in the game,” Saleh told reporters regarding Wilson postgame. “Nothing’s too big for him. He’s gonna be a good football player. He’s still a pup in the league, he’s got a long way to go, obviously, but at the same time I thought he did a really nice job today.”