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Sometimes it’s not who you play, but when you play them. The Houston Texans entered the game without starting tight end Dalton Schultz, standout receiver, speedster Tank Dell, and then lost their other starting receiver, emerging star Nico Collins on the first series.
So they were essentially without their top three passing game targets in this game.
The Jets defense was terrific today, but Houston being down their top three passing game targets was far from ideal for the Texans . . .
Speaking of injuries, the Jets were scoreless in the first half, but then the Texans lost a starting corner (Tavierre Thomas) and starting linebacker (Blake Cashman) in the second quarter, who missed the second half, and the Jets offensive exploded in the second half.
This was a really nice second half for Zach Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett.
Wilson is at his best when his first read is open, and his two touchdown passes were to wide-open first reads – Breece Hall and Randall Cobb.
So credit to Wilson and Hackett.
The problem is you can’t expect this to happen every week.
After this game, Garrett Wilson said, not in relation to Zach Wilson, but about the offense in general, but said, “Sometimes it comes together.”
And that is the problem – only “sometimes” it comes together.
The league is down this year, and when you see teams like Denver and Houston at 7-6, there is no reason, injuries or no injuries, the Jets shouldn’t be 7-6. They should’ve beaten New England and Las Vegas, teams they are much more talented than, but offensively things didn’t “come together” in those games.
So all those feel-good stories today about Zach Wilson today are fine, but let’s not be fickle. Today was a perfect storm in the second half for the Jets’ offense, with a lot of easy reads open, but that isn’t going to happen every week.
Obviously it didn’t happen against New England, Las Vegas or the Los Angeles Chargers, all games the Jets could have won with better QB play . . .
Mekhi Becton best position after this year is probably right tackle. He got beat for two sacks in the fourth quarter by defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who used a low pad level to dip under the 6-7 tackle.
He’s been somewhat inconsistent in pass pro this season at left tackle.
Becton’s future should probably be at right tackle, and there is nothing wrong with that . . .
Why is Allen Lazard not having more production?
Simple.
He’s never the first read, in an offense that mainly goes to the first read, and he’s not a burner, so he’s not going to give Zach Wilson big windows to throw into when the QB runs around and improvises.
And that is what the offense is with Wilson when they have some success – it’s one-read, or run around and look for somebody to flash open.
He’s not fitting into either one of those categories, so he’s not going to get the rock . . .
Jordan Whitehead was limping around after the game, and was the last player with his clothes in his locker, which means he was probably getting treatment.
He has some kind of leg injury, so his status for the Jets trip to Miami could be up in the air . . .
Considering the Jets are clearly have more talent than New England, Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers, they should probably at least won two of those three games, and be sitting at 7-6 right now, and with Aaron Rodgers targeted return for December 24th being a real possibility, perhaps they could have grabbed a wildcard spot. But they got little from their passing offense in all three of these games with zero touchdown passes in all three.
So they are 5-8 instead, with the post-season a long shot of biblical proportions.
What wasted opportunities to lose all three of those winnable games.
December 10, 2023
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