How Much Longer Will Jets Back Zach as Starter?
Joe Namath's words were harsh, but valid.
As a quarterback, Zach Wilson looks broken beyond repair.
He seems to have entered the season with an improved attitude and approach, but it hasn't translated to on-field results. If anything, he looks more unsure of himself than ever when dropping back to pass.
His processing, decision-making and execution are all lacking and there is no sign that they can ever be restored.
"I don’t believe in him. I don’t believe he has a future as a good player. And I think they made the wrong choice when they drafted him," said Namath during an interview on ESPN Radio's The Michael Kay Show.
The numbers certainly don't help Wilson's case. His 52.4 completion percentage is the lowest in the league and his 57.0 quarterback rating ranks 34th out of 34 qualifying passers.
It was more of the same company line when Robert Saleh addressed the media during Monday afternoon's virtual press conference. Sounding much like he did both before and after Sunday's loss, Saleh publicly backed the embattled Wilson.
"He’s our unquestioned quarterback, guys," said Saleh. "Like as long as he continues to show the way his preparation, the way he’s been practicing, and even in these games, guys, he’s not the reason we lost yesterday."
In a 15-10 setback to the New England Patriots, Wilson and the Jets' offense managed to gain only 2.8 yards per play. The Jets converted 2 of 14 third-down chances and punted eight times.
"One thing I’m going to give him credit for, is he had a turnover free game yesterday. He had no turnover worthy throws from my recollection, and because of that, we were in position and had the ball at midfield with 1:40 to go and two timeouts to go win the game," said Saleh.
Why Saleh would choose to highlight that end-of-game debacle is beyond me. Not only did the Jets fail to muster up a game-winning drive, they accounted for a maddening four-play offensive series that netted two yards.
If getting the ball "with 1:40 to go and two timeouts to go win the game," is an example of success, then the bar couldn't be any lower for Wilson. At this rate, the Jets are staring at another last-place finish unless something changes in a hurry.
On Tuesday, the Jets signed veteran Trevor Siemian to the Practice Squad but Wilson remains QB1 for now.
"These guys had two quarterbacks. They needed a third quarterback. I had some good conversations and here I am," said Siemian after his first practice as a Jet on Wednesday. According to Saleh, the 31-year-old signal caller will be a gameday inactive in Week 4 as he concentrates on learning the playbook.
Although an acclimation period is necessary, how long will the Jets wait before turning the starting duties over to Siemian?
After Siemian's arrival, Saleh slightly changed his tone on Wilson but didn't come close to saying his starting status was in danger.
"With regard to Z [Zach], we all acknowledge he has to play better. We all acknowledge that. He acknowledges it, teammates acknowledge it, he acknowledges it himself, but the key is to have confidence in yourself," said Saleh on Wednesday in Florham Park. "There’s a fine line between being blindly positive and actually having positive accountability. So, for him, he fully recognizes what needs to get done, and we all recognize what needs to get done."
How many people inside the building truly have confidence in Wilson getting done what needs to be done? He's not a rookie anymore. He has 25 career games under his belt. If he hasn't shown the ability yet, will he ever?
Wilson's teammates have been saying all of the right things. No one has thrown the current starter under the bus despite the offense's paralyzing ineptitude.
There have been, however, rumors of tension developing on the inside, especially from defensive players. It has to be a hopeless feeling for a defense when it watches the offense continuously pile up three-and-outs. It's only a matter a time before the defense cracks under the added stress.
Offensive playmakers have seemed frustrated at times, too. Whether it was running back Michael Carter engaged in a heated exchange with a coach or receiver Garrett Wilson yelling at his quarterback, there were a few moments when emotions boiled over on the sidelines last Sunday.
"I mean if you take our body of work these past three games, it hasn’t been pretty," said offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on Thursday. "That’s facts. And again, like anybody that questions us, we have the right to prove everybody wrong, but in the end, we have to do it. The offense has to come together."
To Wilson's credit, he has taken ownership of his performance and has vowed to get better. The problem is that time is running out on the Jets' season as well as Wilson's opportunity to be an NFL starter.
It's important to remember, however, that after all that has transpired with Wilson over the past two years, once the Jets pull the plug, there's no turning back. The finality of the decision is like the reason why it hasn't been made yet.
Whether it becomes official next Monday, two weeks from now or at the end of the season, it appears the Wilson experiment is over.
Depending upon how it goes, Wilson's first-ever Sunday Night Football appearance could be his last.
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