Improvement? 100%. Athleticism? He had one big boy run where the first defender pulled up to avoid an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the sidelines. It was an amazing run, but he hasn’t been Lamar Jackson all year so that’s a bit of a stretch. One of my biggest gripes has been his unwillingness to pickup first downs on the ground.
If Zach shows no progress through the bye next year the Jets should start the process of finding the next QB and show Zach the door. Two seasons of rotten play is one season too many in the NFL. More than that is just begging to stay terribad.
I didn't even think of that run when referring to his athleticism... it was not that special. He's no Josh Allen... but he can escape pressure and make plays downfield. That's been demonstrated every game. He's got a good arm and is getting better at keeping his eyes & feet aligned before throwing. Did I mention he's smart?
He made some great plays where he looked like he was going to get sacked and he kept the play alive and threw a great pass that not many QB's could throw.
It's what's been happening between the highlights that's the problem. Zach needs to learn to move the chains and stay out of 3rd & long situations. We're like 29th in points per game... and with our sorrowful defense we won't win many games even if that improves. We're dead last in points allowed per game and yards per game given up to opponents.... and at or near the bottom in every defensive category. Our offense could be cooking and we'd be getting fucked out of wins. I don't know of any quarterback that can win games consistently with a defense that plays so poorly like ours. The Mike White game against the Bengal was an outlier... and we gave up 31 points in that one. We've got to develop Zach... but we have to shore up our defense. It's that critical.
I disagree. I’d rather go 7-10 next year in a bunch of shootouts than 7-10 in bunch of “defensive chess matches”.
But the judgement proved faulty on at least two levels. Wilson wasn't ready for the NFL and the Jets did not have a veteran journeyman around to provide the foundation they needed. There was no need to make the all in commitment so early. Generalities like most high picks start right away don't help a guy who is no where near ready on opening day.
Right now I'd rank the rookie QBs: 1. Jones 2. Mills 3. Wilson 4. Fields 5. Lawrence Lance hasn't played enough to be ranked. I'm pretty sure nobody had that ranking at the beginning of the season.
That’s not exactly a list one wants to be on. Seems pretty fair. Mills has looked surprisingly solid in that he understands where the ball needs to go.
