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That went for coaches and teammates, including one particular star who’s been relatively vocal in recent weeks about his overall frustration with the offense.
And Garrett Wilson didn’t waste any time, either, when reported Monday that his quarterback would rather not regain the starting job.
“I reached out to him as soon as I saw the report, just letting him know that I have his back no matter what. And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one,” the star receiver told me after the game. “What I saw from him today is just going out there, just spinning it, just playing. That’s the thing, he just wanted to go out there and say, . He did a great job of that today.”
Or, in other words, I said to Garrett, playing like you don’t give a …
“You asked the question, I almost said, ,” Wilson says, laughing. “That’s the mindset I saw from Zach. That’s really what I saw. That’s the best way I could put it.”
Turns out, that actually was the rallying cry behind the 24-year-old quarterback Sunday, because the Jets’ top receiver wasn’t the only guy to use those specific words to describe what happened with Wilson as he led the Jets’ 30–6 stunner over the upstart Texans.
Wilson threw for 301 yards, two touchdowns and a 117.9 rating on 27-of-36 passing. He got more out of Garrett Wilson (9 catches, 108 yards) and Breece Hall (8 catches, 86 yards) than anyone has all year. And he did it with the rain coming down sideways at MetLife Stadium, and just three weeks having passed since Robert Saleh benched him, seemingly for good, after the Jets were routed in Buffalo.
“The words I’ve been using: ,” Saleh said later Sunday night. “Ice T, . Just let it rip. I mean, giving 50-50 ops to Garrett, giving one to Conk [Tyler Conklin]. All scheduled, in rhythm, nothing forced. It was by far the best game of his career because he pieced it all together, even extending time in the pocket, scrambling, running. I know he fumbled the one. But he was awesome.”
And even better, he proved he could do it even when things didn’t start the way anyone would’ve planned.
Wilson took a sack that knocked the Jets out of field goal range on their first possession, then posted three three-and-outs on New York’s next four possessions. At the half, the Jets had 100 yards, five first downs, and were 1-for-7 on third down—but even then, as Garrett Wilson saw it, there was a different pace and feel to how the Jets were playing.
“We felt like we were close the whole first half as far as breaking that seal, and that’s kind of been the thing with us,” the receiver says. “We feel like once we score that first touchdown, who knows how it will play out from that point?”
Saleh mentioned Zach Wilson’s second-half fumble—it turns out that miscue would be the only thing that would stop the Jets from scoring the rest of the game. They opened the second half with 75- and 69-yard touchdown drives. Then came the fumble, and after that another 75-yard touchdown drive, and three possessions that ended in field goals.
That second half was a mix of the routine, and the spectacular (there was a third-and-12 on the first possession after the break on which Wilson scrambled free, ran left, then threw back across his body to Garrett Wilson for a 25-yard gain). And finally it melded together in the sort of way the Jets had envisioned it would when they took Wilson with the second pick out of BYU.
Saleh says he saw a fire in Wilson’s eyes when he approached the quarterback about what was in the report.
“What I know is that Zach was excited and wanted the ball,” Saleh says. “And I sensed he was going to play well with the way he approached it on Monday, before my press conference, before I even made a decision. I didn’t make a decision until later, but he said basically, , and he was adamant about it. It was just the kickstart to an unbelievable week for him.”
And as for what’s next, the now 5–8 Jets will go to Miami, and then things will get considerably more manageable—with the Commanders, Browns and Patriots on the slate for the season’s final three weeks. So, yes, if New York can somehow beat the Dolphins on the road, then things would get pretty real—and that, surely, will bring a lot of intrigue, with the incentive then growing for Aaron Rodgers to find his way back to the field.
For now, though, the Jets swear that’s not where their heads are.
“I honestly don’t [think about Rodgers’ return], as far as this year goes,” Garrett Wilson says. “Having him around and being able to chop it up with him is super valuable. But like I said, I got to be in the moment, I got to be on top of my details, on top of my things, and if that does happen, I’ll be ready, because I know how I thought about things in the meantime.”
“For us, it’s just one game at a time,” Saleh adds. “Just play, just have fun. Don’t think about anything except for the moment.”
On Sunday, Zach Wilson unquestionably did that. And, hey, it sure did work for him.
