New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson booed off during defeat by Jacksonville Jaguars
By Ben Church, CNN
Quarterback Zach Wilson endured a torrid night before eventually being benched as the New York Jets were beaten 19-3 by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday.
Wilson was booed at different points throughout the game before being replaced by Chris Streveler in the third quarter after completing just nine of 18 passes for 92 yards.
“I don’t blame them,” Wilson told reporters when asked about fans booing. We have a passionate fan base, and they’re here to watch us score touchdowns.
“We’re not scoring touchdowns, we’re not getting first downs, we’re not moving the ball and, obviously, we can’t throw the ball. Of course they’re going to be frustrated.”
As the rain poured down on a rainy night at the MetLife Stadium, Wilson looked out of sorts as the Jets slumped to a fourth successive defeat — another major blow to the franchise’s playoff hopes.
The No. 2 overall draft pick in 2021, Wilson has struggled for form during his two seasons at the Jets.
“I just felt like I didn’t have any rhythm out there,” added Wilson. “I was just trying to find some confidence out there on the field, just find something to get us going — a little spark. I couldn’t get anything there.”
Jets head coach Robert Saleh decided to replace Wilson with Streveler who had been elevated from the practice squad for Thursday’s game.
‘It’s not just him’
Streveler provided some moments of hope on his season debut, completing 10 of 15 passes for 90 yards.
“Obviously I know Zach was struggling, but Streveler came in, ran a couple of plays, sparked the offense, got the explosive play, and so it just snowballed in a good way, so we wanted to give him the opportunity to finish the drive,” Saleh told reporters.
“We haven’t seen the last of [Wilson]. But right now he’s just got to focus on finding ways to get better, and we’ve got to find ways to help him.
“It’s not just him, it’s collective, and we’ve all got to find ways to get better.”
While the Jets are left licking their wounds, the Jaguars can celebrate their third straight victory as they continued their late-season surge.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No.1 overall pick in last year’s draft, completed 20 of his 31 passes for 229 yards and leaped in for the only touchdown of the game.
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