Redemption song: Why Jets QB Zach Wilson is most important player ahead of rematch with Patriots
For the New York Jets to beat the division-rival New England Patriots on Sunday, the team will need QB Zach Wilson to redeem himself after a disastrous outing against the Patriots on Oct. 30.
The loss marked the low point for Wilson this year. He completed just 20-of-41 passes and threw three interceptions.
The Patriots have been a thorn in Wilson's side since he entered the league. In three career starts against New England, Wilson is 45-of-84 (53.8 percent) for 616 yards and two touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Jets lost all three games and averaged 12 points.
NFL Network's Peter Schrager reminded viewers that Patriots coach Bill Belichick is exceptional at exploiting opponents' weaknesses -- especially coming off a bye. There's little doubt Belichick will force the Jets to beat them by making sure Wilson has to make big throws.
"He has spent his last ten days crafting, building, working on a gameplan 'cause we know one thing about Bill Belichick; he takes away what you do best," said Schrager
Per Pro Football Focus, Wilson has only three "Big Time Throws" this season, which the site defines as "a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window." Only Baker Mayfield (1.6 percent), Daniel Jones (1.2 percent) and Matt Ryan (0.6 percent) have a fewer percentage of "Big Time Throws" than Wilson (1.7 percent) among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts.
NFL Next Gen Stats reveals Wilson isn't struggling because of problems with his offensive line. His average time to throw of 3.12 seconds is tops in the NFL.
Per PFF, Wilson has the worst passing grade (34) when having 2.5 seconds or more to throw among QBs with 100 dropbacks in those situations. PFF data shows Wilson has 2.5 seconds or more to throw on 54.5 percent of his dropbacks. He is 34-of-84 (40.5 percent) with one touchdown and three interceptions.
The Jets have plenty of the pieces a good team needs. The running game is strong and the defense is the most improved unit in all of football.
The only question that remains is if Wilson is the answer at quarterback.
New York (6-3) is second in the AFC East and a game up on New England (5-4). A loss Sunday paired with a Buffalo Bills (6-3) win would mean the Jets would be last in the division.
The Jets need a win on Sunday. If they do, it will be because of Wilson, who needs the win most of all.
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