How Week 3 Is the Perfect Opportunity for Jets to Get Garrett Wilson Back on Track

As the Jets try to move past a crushing overtime loss to the Packers last Sunday, the focus shifts to a Week 3 road trip to face the Lions at Ford Field and whether New York can respond to the adversity against head coach Aaron Glenn's former team.

From Glenn's poor clock management and timeout usage to the offensive line and special teams, there was a lot of blame to go around in the home opener against the Packers. That said, the wide receiver group left a lot of potential on the table as well and needs to step up in light of some injuries.

While rookie Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle sprain) and Tim Patrick (groin) are currently on injured reserve, the depth took another hit with the news that Arian Smith would be out for the rest of the season after undergoing ACL surgery. With so many injuries to address, it is even more important that WR1 Garrett Wilson takes on a larger role and lives up to the four-year, $130 million extension he signed prior to the 2025 season.

Wilson came away with five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in the Week 2 loss, but he only received seven targets the entire game—only one more than WR3 Isaiah Williams. For comparison, Adonai Mitchell led the team with six catches on 12 targets for 63 yards, which speaks to the receiver conundrum.

The Jets need to find a way to get Wilson more involved in the offense if they want to remain competitive. Fortunately, a favorable matchup against the Lions' secondary this weekend could be the opportunity they've been waiting for.

Lions are the ideal opponent for a Garrett Wilson breakout game

The wideouts weren't the worst unit on the field for the Jets in Week 2, but there is no reason for Wilson to record fewer receptions than Isaiah Williams (six catches, 34 yards) and only put up 57 yards for the entire game as the team's WR1.

Granted, his five-yard TD catch (h/t NFL) in the third quarter against the Packers put the Jets ahead and showed that he was still a factor in the offense, but the overall performance was nowhere near what is and should be expected from him.

Geno Smith ➡️ Garrett Wilson for the TD

GBvsNYJ on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9EsUYlmkpo
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

Sure, a lot of the blame goes to the offensive line and its inability to protect quarterback Geno Smith and set the tone in the trenches for a run game that only accumulated 67 total yards. Still, this is an offense that has taken massive strides so far by ranking 14th in the league in total yards and 13th in passing, which makes it even more confusing that Wilson, the team's highest-paid player, has had so little impact.

However, when you consider the start to the season that Smith has had, there is every reason to believe that better days could be in store for Wilson if there is better protection up front. With that in mind, the Lions could be exactly what the doctor ordered for him to have his first breakout performance of the 2026 season.

Not only has Detroit allowed a combined 71 points in the first two weeks with a struggling secondary, but it will also be without safety Avonte Maddox, who is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a severe left foot injury in the Week 2 loss to the Bills. Additionally, defensive backs Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are still on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, while Thomas Harper —who averages 43.5 defensive snaps per game—could face a potential absence after missing Thursday's practice with an ankle injury (h/t Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman).

Still no Thomas Harper or Ben Bartch on Thursday.

Alim McNeill was back.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) September 24, 2026

Needless to say, this is a perfect opportunity for the Jets to feed Wilson the ball and get him more involved, as you would expect him to be on Sunday. For starters, FanDuel Sportsbook is currently favoring the over on the 47.5-point total while listing the Jets as 6.5-point underdogs, meaning they should have plenty of opportunities for them to throw the ball to Wilson in what could be a high-scoring game.

Wilson has faced the Lions just once, coming back in his 2022 rookie season. That said, he made the most of it with four catches for 98 yards and an impressive average of 24.5 yards per catch. He is still searching for his first 100-yard game this season, but with the former Lions defensive coordinator Glenn on his side now and a banged-up group standing in his way on Sunday, don't be surprised if Wilson becomes the most targeted receiver and puts up some big numbers.

The Jets still have many questions to answer, but if the early signs from Detroit's secondary are any indication, Wilson could be due for the type of performance that has eluded him so far this season.

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