By Jason Alwang
The New York Jets are in panic mode.
That’s right, the team that had so much hope and promise for this season is now under some big-time problems. Back in the offseason, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was signed on to be the signal caller, no one knew that he would tear his Achilles four snaps into his career. That’s when the Jets had the reality check that their only option was to play Zach Wilson once again. The whole premise of the Jets season was to build around Rodgers, which is why Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb were brought into the team in the first place.
The same goes for new offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett; the only reason he was brought in was because he knows Rodgers the best from his time in Green Bay. Week one against the Buffalo Bills changed the whole narrative of the season. All the hype for this season for The Jets was completely diminished in the stadium.
When fans saw that cart, the stadium was pretty quiet for a little while. The Jets went on to win that game and overtime, and the crowd was electric at that point. But the problem at hand was still there. Zach Wilson was supposed to be riding the bench and learning from Rodgers. Now, The Jets have lost three in a row, with the Chiefs and Eagles to come within the next couple of weeks. Still believe The Jets have the talent to make the playoffs with or without Aaron Rodgers.
The main problem these past few weeks has been Zach Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett has been trying to change the playbook for Wilson’s style, and it just hasn’t worked so far. Owen Cotton, a senior at Western New England University, spoke highly of the quarterback despite the struggles. “I think Zach Wilson is in a better place mentally compared to the past.”
This is the one thing that head coach Robert Saleh has been ushering in his press conferences as well. He thinks that Wilson is in a far better position than last year, or as Saleh put it, “light-years ahead of where he was last year.” While this could be true mentally, Wilson’s game physically just isn’t where it needs to be in order for this Jets team to take the next steps.
The Jets have recently acquired Trevor Siemian and assigned him to their practice squad, so the Jets and Wilson have another veteran presence on the roster. The hope is for Siemian to learn the playbook and potentially, if Wilson’s struggles continue, take over as the new starting quarterback.
The rest of the team has already begun showing some emotions on the sidelines. There’s been some yelling at coaches, as well as players either yelling at Wilson or trying to rally him. While there is nothing major to report yet, the fact that there’s already been yelling on the sidelines is something to monitor as the Jets continue to ride Wilson for now. “I don’t think that Zach Wilson will lose the locker room… if he does, then it will be hard to be successful.” Cotton reiterated that although it is a possibility, he doesn’t see anything coming of it.
The sports world is sure to keep monitoring this Jets season and to see whether or not the team can stick together with the adversity looming.
