FLORHAM PARK — There have been a few quarterbacks in the NFL that have had to deal with the type of vitriol that Zach Wilson has gone through his first three years.
So when a performance by the second overall comes around like Sunday’s, no one would blame him for taking a victory lap over those who wish him to fail. In New York’s 30-6 victory over the Houston Texans, Wilson set a career-high in completion percentage while throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns. For his exploits, Wilson was awarded the AFC Offensive Player of the Week Award for being graded as one of the best overall players in the league for Week 14.
Despite the very obvious chance to gloat over his abilities or prove to everyone he belongs in the NFL, Wilson decided Wednesday to take the high road and offered his thanks to the rest of the offense.
“I think it’s really a testament to this offense,” Wilson stated. “We’ve been going through it, obviously and momentum was a thing for us in that game and I just thought it was cool how everyone kind of rebounded, so I think that’s something we all get to share. It felt good to have that flow as an offense and to score points and do what we expect to do every week.”
It’s a far cry from where the 24-year-old quarterback has been in recent years when it comes to what he says in the media. The BYU standout has been benched multiple times for poor performance or “needing a reset” in the locker room.
This season, though, has been completely different. While the Jets’ record may not change much with Wilson under center (5-8), the locker room is as tight-knit as it ever has with leaders throughout the season repeatedly having the quarterback’s back despite the offense failing to score multiple touchdowns for most of the year.
Now with some inkling of success, the quarterback isn’t talking about himself, but more about the team around him.
“I think I’ve kind of shared with you guys that momentum’s been a big word we’ve been using, right? It’s like when things are going well, then bigger plays and bigger plays keep getting made because things are going well,” Wilson stated.
The locker room as a whole is a reason why Wilson has been such a changed player in his third season.
“I love competing,” he added. “I love playing with the guys in this locker room, you love making the plays, you love doing the tough things and you love winning, so any opportunity we get to step on the field and go out and try and do that again, I mean, I can’t wait for it.”
Wilson will get a chance to prove last week’s performance was not a fluke when the Jets take on the Miami Dolphins in South Florida. The Dolphins have already beaten Gang Green this year but are beaten up in several key spots along their offensive and defensive lines.
New York may be a nine-point underdog on the road, but if Wilson plays close to how he did against Houston, the organization will have a chance to stay alive in a crowded AFC Playoff picture.
“It’s wash, rinse, repeat,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “It’s continue to have confidence in your ability, confidence in your teammates, confidence in your coaches, and confidence that he has the ability to take a game over when he’s clicking. It’s more just have that continued confidence and swag and just play with that ‘let it rip’ mentality.”
