So, is Zach Wilson now the fourth-best quarterback on the Jets?
Wilson, the would-be franchise quarterback, was benched in the third quarter of Thursday (US time)’s 19-3 loss to the Jaguars in favor of Chris Streveler, a former Canadian Football League quarterback who spent the entire season on the practice squad until Thursday night.
Streveler gave the Jets a jolt of energy when he entered with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter, but could not get the Jets into the end zone and the Jets’ playoff hopes are now on life support after four straight losses.
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On Thursday, the Jets looked like a team that has no business being in the postseason.
The Jets had a meaningful game in December in primetime and they didn’t even show up.
The offense looked completely inept. Wilson should not play again this season after Thursday night’s performance. The offensive line was as leaky as an old faucet. The running game was a rumor.
The vaunted defense? Well, they gave up a 96-yard touchdown drive and Jaguars coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence played with them all night long.
It was a rainy, windy night at MetLife Stadium, the kind of night you’d expect to lean on your running game. But the Jets had just four rushing yards at halftime, their lowest total in a half in 20 years. As bad as Wilson was, the offensive line did not exactly help him out. They got no push against a mediocre Jaguars defense. The Jets had 66 yards and three first downs at halftime.
Wilson looked clueless in the game. The matchup between Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 Draft, and Wilson, the No. 2 picks, there was no contest. While Lawrence looked in command and showed good decision-making and an ability to make plays with his arms and legs, Wilson missed open receivers and showed no feeling in the pocket.
The boos from the small crowd grew louder and louder every time Wilson came back on the field.
Jets coach Robert Saleh stuck with Wilson for two drives in the second half and then pulled him for Streveler. The star of the preseason for the Jets energized the Jets with a run of 6 yards to start. He found Elijah Moore for a first down, then hit CJ Uzomah for a 30-yard gain. He ran for 14 yards and then 10 on third-and-9. He connected with Garrett Wilson on fourth-and-4 for a first down.
Streveler got the Jets to the Jaguars 13 but couldn’t sustain the magic and the drive ended when his fourth-and-2 pass hit the turf. Streveler’s next drive would end with a Garrett Wilson fumble.
The loss drops the Jets to 7-8 and they are now in 10th place in the AFC, with the Jaguars, who are also 7-8, leapfrogging them with this game. The Jets can actually be officially eliminated this weekend, but it would take wins from the Dolphins, Patriots, Chargers and either a Ravens loss or tie or a Browns loss or tie.
In all likelihood, the Jets will remain alive heading into next week’s game against the Seahawks, but it is now going to take a miracle for them to make the playoffs.
The Jets started off the game with a big play on defense. Quinnen Williams, in his return from a calf injury, had a strip sack of Lawrence on the first drive of the game. Carl Lawson recovered for the Jets and the Jets got the ball at the Jacksonville 16. The Jets went backwards when Wilson didn’t see Jaguars safety Andre Cisco blitzing off the edge. Cisco sacked Wilson for an 8-yard loss and Greg Zuerlein kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Jets a 3-0 lead.
The Jaguars began to pick the Jets defense apart on the next drive. Pederson mixed his plays up perfectly and kept the Jets defense on its heels. On third-and-1, Lawrence had a play fake and hit former Giant Evan Engram for a 22-yard gain. Travis Etienne gained 19 yards on another third down. The Jets held the Jaguars to a 32-yard field goal and a 3-3 tie.
Streveler, who was elevated off the practice squad before the game, made an appearance in the first quarter but there was a false start on the play.
The Jaguars went on a monster drive that spanned the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second. They got the ball at their own 4 and went 96 yards on 16 plays with Lawrence scoring from the 1 when he jumped up and over the Jets defense and extended the ball for a 10-3 lead.
The Jets offense meanwhile could not get out of their own way. They had drives filled with penalties and negative runs that put them in terrible downs and distances.
Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson kicked a 45-yard field goal before halftime for a 13-3 Jacksonville lead.
The Jets got the ball to start the second half and Saleh stuck with Wilson. The Jets went three-and-out with Wilson sailing a third-and-1 pass over Corey Davis’ head. The Jaguars made it to the Jets’ 23 and then Patterson kicked a 41-yard field goal, extending the Jaguars’ lead to 16-3 and setting the stage for Streveler.
Streveler is the fourth quarterback to play for the Jets this season, joining Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White, who is out with broken ribs.
This article was originally published at the New York Post and was republished with permission.
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