Jets praise 'unbelievable' Wilson after career day in win over Texans
There was no shortage of praise for New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson following Sunday's 30-6 triumph over the Houston Texans.
"Zach was unbelievable," said head coach Robert Saleh, who described Week 14 as the best performance of Wilson's career, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.
Wilson returned to the lineup versus the Texans after serving as the Jets' third-string passer in the previous two weeks behind Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian. Wilson originally began the campaign as QB2 behind Aaron Rodgers but had to take over after Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury four snaps into Week 1. The former No. 2 pick then had a roller-coaster campaign that resulted in him losing the starting role before Week 12.
Wilson was reportedly reluctant to step back into the starting lineup again before the Houston matchup. His hesitancy apparently stemmed from a perceived injury risk. He denied the report.
Multiple Jets players noticed Wilson playing loose and confident against the Texans.
"He told me, 'I'm playing for y'all. I've nothing to lose,'" Jets cornerback D.J. Reed said about Wilson postgame. "He said, 'What's the worst that can happen, I get benched again?' That's what he said and that's the way he played. It showed."
"He said it early this week: F it. Go out there and have some fun. Leave it all out there," guard Laken Tomlinson added.
Wilson finished the day with 27 completions on 36 attempts for 301 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions, setting career highs in completion percentage rate (75%) and passer rating (117.9). He also finished Week 14 in the top 10 in EPA/play among quarterbacks.
"The flow of just playing football today was there, and I can't say it's been like that a lot, unfortunately, in my career here," said Wilson, who's struggled to meet expectations since being drafted in 2021.
Despite Sunday's stunning win, the 5-8 Jets' playoff chances are still low. New York hasn't made the postseason since 2010, the longest drought in the league.
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