Issues at the QB position have defined the Jets and Giants’ season
Zach Wilson was finally benched as the Jets’ starter.
His replacement for the time being, Tim Boyle, may not be a better player or more productive than Wilson. But the Jets’ general manager, Joe Douglas, and head coach, Robert Saleh, were acutely aware they could not continue with the beleaguered QB leading the offense when they publicly announced his demotion on Monday.
The Jets are 4-6, effectively if not officially out of the playoff race with seven games remaining ahead of tomorrow’s matchup (3 p.m.) with the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium and in the midst of a squandered season which was primarily the result of inadequate quarterback play.
Referencing Wilson’s stats don’t totally paint a full picture of how poorly he’s performed. Yet a snippet tells enough of the story. In 10 games this season, the 2021 No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft has only six touchdowns, all the while posting seven interceptions and an abysmal QBR of 30.7—arguably the most important metric of a signal caller’s production—ranking him 30th in the league.
On Tuesday, Wilson addressed the narrative of him being a scapegoat of the Jets’ failures, admirably taking a large chunk of accountability for the team unfathomably scoring just 9 touchdowns.
“Absolutely not,” he said Tuesday. “You’ve got to look at the situation. We’re not scoring touchdowns. Regardless of what I’m doing, my job as a quarterback is to help us score points. I can sit here and say I’ve had a bunch of growth and tremendous whatever this year, but if you’re not scoring touchdowns, it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. And I get that.”
However, Douglas is the main culprit.
As the team’s architect, he should have had a viable plan in the event four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who the Jets acquired last April in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, sustained a serious injury. Wilson had shown no signs he could successfully take the reins coming into this season after looking completely overwhelmed in his rookie and sophomore campaigns.
Then when Rodgers suffered a season-ending left Achilles tear after just four snaps in the Jets’ regular season opening game on September 11, Douglas imprudently doubled down on Wilson instead of trading for a quality backup by the NFL’s October 31 trade deadline when the Jets were 4-3 and still in the thick of the playoff hunt.
Conversely, when Minnesota Vikings starter Kirk Cousins tore an Achilles facing the Packers two days before deadline, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, cosigned by franchise owner Zygi Wilf, made a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for QB Joshua Dobbs, who has helped keep them in the race for a postseason spot at 6-5.
The Giants also have experienced severe quarterback issues. Starter Daniel Jones tore the ACL in his right knee against the Raiders on November 5 and his highly capable backup, Tyrod Taylor, was hospitalized with a rib cage injury on October 29 against the Jets while filling in for Jones, who was recovering from a neck injury prior to coming back versus the Raiders.
Taylor is still not ready to play so now the Giants are being guided by undrafted rookie free agent Tommy Devito who played ball at Syracuse University, University of Illinois, and New Jersey’s Don Bosco High School.
Devito earned his first career win in two starts last Sunday when the 3-8 Giants defeated the 4-7 Washington Commanders 31-19 and will get another start this Sunday at home versus the 2-8 New England Patriots.
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