– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY — Two predictions appeared set in stone going into Sunday’s contest at MetLife Stadium: the weather would feature biblical rain and wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour through most of the contest, and that Zach Wilson, upon his return to the starting quarterback spot, would remain ineffective in front of a (sparse) fan base ready to turn on him at the first sign of struggle.
It’s a good thing that both weathermen and sports experts are inaccurate from time to time, and the misreads on both fronts allowed the game to go on without significant weather disruptions — which then allowed Wilson to shine on the field.
Wilson, the third-year quarterback who might be playing out the last few games of his tenure in the New York City area, threw for 301 yards and two second-half touchdowns in leading the Jets to a comprehensive 30-6 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. New York’s defense bottled up Wilson’s opposite number, Texans quarterback and presumptive offensive rookie of the year C.J. Stroud, and Houston’s offense in allowing just 135 yards of total offense all game.
The only thing that was steadier than the rain that fell during a scoreless first half was Wilson’s composure in the second. Leading New York to all 30 of its points in the game’s final 30 minutes, Wilson completed 18 of his 21 attempts in the second half for 209 yards and both of his touchdown throws on the afternoon.
“I thought everyone did a great job of coming together. I thought everyone battled. We played for each other,” Wilson said. “The love and respect we have in that locker room for one another is unmatched. We all got each others back. Just proud of the guys for showing up and being ready to go today.”
A number of those teammates complemented Wilson, who was much more decisive in making throws into tight windows. The Jets’ first drive of the second half saw Wilson pirouette from a onrushing defender on a third-and 12, finding Garrett Wilson down the middle for a 25-yard game into the red zone. On the next play, Zach threw his first touchdown, on a crossing route to Randall Cobb — only Cobb’s fourth catch of the season.
The next drive saw acrobatic catches from tight ends Jeremy Ruckert and Ty Conklin to overcome a second-and-15, with Xavier Gipson’s touchdown run on an end-around to end the march downfield giving New York a 14-0 advantage.
Earlier this week, Wilson said that he would play with as much joy than he ever has as a professional after being promoted once again to the starting quarterback role, and he performed a lot like Gene Kelly while, figuratively, singing in the rain.
“The flow of just playing football today was there and I can’t say it’s been like that a lot, unfortunately, in my career here,” Wilson said. “That’s what we’re searching for right there is just playing ball, just moving the football, just completing passes. That’s what we’re always hunting for. I thought (it was) an unbelievable job by everybody. I thought Hack (offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett) called a great game as well. But [there are] always things I’m going to want back.”
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