NFL
NY Jets QB Zach Wilson inspires his team to victory over the Titans
The star rookie has bounced back from a rough patch. On a night when his team needed him, he delivered.
After having a disaster game in which he threw four interceptions the New York Jets Quarterback seems to be coming good.
Zach Wilson shows what he's made of
Though his welcome to the NFL may have been a baptism of fire, rookie quarterback Zach Wilson has begun to show why the New York Jets selected him at second overall in the NFL draft. Wilson showed up on Sunday with a mission culminating in the fourth quarter on Sunday when threw two touchdown passes to give the Jets a 27-24 overtime victory over the Tennessee Titans.
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The showpiece moment coming in overtime when Wilson completed two third-down passes to set up Matt Ammendola's 22-yard field goal, allowing the Jets to register their first victory.
The rookie lights it up for the New York Jets
It's been a rough road for the rookie so far but in his fourth game, Wilson displayed everything he had previously been described as. His elusiveness and arm strength across the game saw throw both 54 and 53 yard pass completions outside the pocket. The latter of those two was to former Titans wide receiver Corey Davis who scored the touchdown as a result.
On the Davis touchdown itself, Wilson ran a bootleg, then while holding the ball seemed to motion to Davis to go deep. Duly, Davis obliged. In the end the wide receiver finished with four catches for 111 yards, eventually taking down the rainbow pass in the end zone with Safety Breon Borders failing to cope.
How did Wilson and the Jets get it done?
The Jets were actually trailing in the middle of the 4th at 17-10 when Wilson ignited. Scoring on consecutive drives the rookie began to turn it up. A feat made all the more impressive when factoring in the idea that to date, the Jets had been score shy, scoring a grand total of 20 points across their first three games.
Wilson's first big play came with a 54-yard bomb to wide receiver Keelan Cole late in the third quarter which then lead to the go ahead field goal. Incidentally the long pass to Cole came after play broke. Wilson was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble 26 yards to his right. Then while on the run he let fly to Cole who got in behind three to haul it in.
It would only be a few moments later that Ammendola made a 27-yard field goal to give the Jets a 10-9 lead. The Titans answered quickly, retaking the lead through Derrick Henry and a subsequent two point conversion to go ahead 17-10.
Wilson and Crowder close it out
At that point Wilson took over inspiring the Jets to a four-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. He connected with wide receiver Crowder twice during the drive, for 29 yards and a 3-yard touchdown to tie the score. It was Crowder's season debut having been sidelined initially due to covid-19 protocols.