Yes, without a doubt the scheming and talent level is worlds different from what BYU faced to what the NFL is. As a prospect Zach was a one year wonder who was not on a single radar to be a first round pick before his final season at BYU. He had to earn his starting spot in a competition and wasn't named captain because of the fact BYU wasn't sure he would be their starting QB. I'm sorry but I am not a fan of one year wonder college QB's, especially from fringe schools like BYU. I'm a die hard Jets fan for 40+ years, I want nothing more than for us to catch lightning in a bottle. In fact I badly wanted Douglas to stack our offense so ridiculously with talent so Zach had a real chance to level up, and he NEEDS to level up quite a bit. Our OL suddenly played respectable the moment Zach was injured. Why? Because the QB's that replaced him (neither of which are good ftr, I'm not here to fuel that BS that Mike White is any kind of good at QB) understand NFL defenses and can make the proper blocking assignment calls at the line. Furthermore they understand on a basic level when to get the ball out quickly and who to get it to. Zach does not. Prior to that Zach's only real success at QB for the Jets came from a couple broken play "wave the receiver deep playground style" plays where he threw up prayers that were caught. When he came back from injury he definitely played better, but he also barely moved the ball and barely put up points, which was a classic example of an OC that completely put the brakes on him because he had no choice. Zach's best football was the first half of the PHI game. He was poised and had command of the offense and was making the plays that the play calls were designed to do. If that Zach shows up on a regular basis then I think he'll be ok. Zach is the starter this year as he should be and I wish him all the success in the world. I will be right here eating all the crow you guys want to serve me happily because in my lifetime the best QB we've had was Ken O'Brien and a season of Vinny Testaverde, neither of which are really anything to be proud of. If I'm right nothing changes, only difference is I'm not throwing insults at other Jets fans just because I feel differently about a player.
Don't sweat it. The people claiming BYU is a NFL QB stable are the same people who will call you names when you don't agree with their opinion. The only BYU QBs drafted in the last 25 years are John Beck, Brandon Doman, and Zach Wilson. Of these 3, only Wilson has won an NFL game.
Respectfully, maybe people see your comments as over-critical? Ive been a Jets fan since 1990, so I hear the pain for sure. I am not sold on Zach yet, but did see positive things as the year progressed. While i do feel like there is plenty to be optimistic about, this team has taught me to ALWAYS be cautiously optimistic. He has the physical tools for sure, but does he have what it takes between the ears? The jury is out. He definitely needs to be better at decision making (processing speed) calling protections, reading the defense and seeing the hot route on blitzes. That being said, I still feel there is cause for optimism. I HOPE this is the real deal, and I think the organization is setting him up for success.
If Zach shows enough progress to be pencilled in as #1 for 2023 then we can talk about a high-end backup as other teams look to move on with a stronger QB class becoming eligible next draft. If the injury bug takes Zach out for a series or a game or two then I'm happy to have Flacco around to keep things ticking over and providing enough capability to keep the other rookies developing. If Zach regresses somehow from his rookie year then I'm good with White getting a chance to see out the season (assumption now being we're dead by thanksgiving again) to see what he can produce without the knowledge that Zach is coming back a presumed starter and he is now the guy. If we have to look to the draft to replace Zach then re-setting the QB clock with a much better team in front of the new guy then either Zach or Sam had wouldn't be a bad thing.
I appreciate the response, it’s definitely fair to say I might be over critical. Like I said I want the kid to succeed badly, I just don’t have a lot of confidence that he will. I think he should get the entire season this year to prove himself, no excuses. My feeling is if he does not play well again there should not be a 3rd year guarantee to start, even if there’s ambiguity as to why he wasn’t successful (ie blaming the OL or injuries).
Just don’t understand the blind loyalty given to this kid. Toss Sam Darnold aside like it’s nothing, we all agree he sucks, and yet he showed more than Wilson. Criticize Wilson though and people here will be down your throat
I think that's fair. Zach doesn't really have any built in excuses (on paper anyway). He should making solid decisions, accurate throws and limit bone-head plays this season. Even if the defense is trash (which i believe it will be better) He should still pass the eye test all season long. I want him to be throwing for 250+ a majority of games. and keep his td/int ratio at about 2/1. I dont expect Mahomes level but i want 12-17 range of qb play. I think he can do it if hes grown from that end stretch last year.
I would say it's more optimism than blind loyalty. However minimal, he did show flashes last year that give some of us hope and optimism. He needs to be much more consistent so that those flashes become the norm though. Sam never progressed as a QB, that's why we "tossed him aside". He was the same, maybe even slightly worse, QB at the end of Year 3 as he was in his first game. If Zach follows that same trajectory, I'll be one of the first to say I was wrong, eat my crow, and say it's time we move on.
ok but then we will have wasted another 3 years (not to mention passing on numerous opportunities to upgrade with a veteran)
Sam got 3 full years to prove himself. He wasn't just "tossed aside." And from what Douglas has said, it was a really tough decision for him to move on. As far as a veteran QB goes, I don't think having a veteran QB last year would have translated to many more wins and the Jets would still be looking for their long term answer at QB. Wilson showed enough for the Jets to still believe in him. Almost 40% of his interceptions came in one game. It's not like he was a turnover machine like Sanchez was his rookie year.
Wasted is a bad word for this situation IMO. Unlike with Darnold, the team is being built around a young QB that seems to have the talent. We are doing everything to help him succeed, at some point, it's on Zach. We def wasted time with Darnold bc we never got him weapons, had a TERRIBLE HC and were in disarray pretty much the whole time he was there. I dont think Darnold was it, but we certainly didnt do him any favors along the way.
It is the same old BS being spouted again. Zach sucks because he went to BYU , he only gets this year. I have no confidence blah blah. What was TL and JF excuse? The fact remains Zach sucked 1. Because he was rookie 2. he was on a bad team. If you watched the games and did not see the talent I am not sure what to tell you. He played very well coming down the stretch with half the team missing. He went to BYU so he must suck take is ridiculous and very last year. I forgot the, I really hope succeeds but the sooner he is out of here the better. Did I say he went to BYU, how can he be good he looks like he is 15.
All rookie QBs on bad teams suck. Any fan who thinks they can judge such a QB as unlikely to succeed based on one year does not know as much as they think they know. On the other hand, it is fair to look for positive signs that give hope. Zach did plenty of that in the last few games. And the fact that he did his tour and showed up 3 sizes bigger than last season shows he is working his butt off, which is the most important ingredient in any player's development. There are no guarantees, but there are reasons for hope.
Can't wait till training camp and preseason football When does Wilson see the field ? The last week in August is when we can revisit threads like this cause that's when we actually can see a preview of coming attractions
I think it's fear of realistic expectations. A realistic expectation of Zach Wilson could be that he fails horribly like most players that rocket up the draft ladder based on limited results. That's not to say he will fail. I do like a lot of things about his skillset and I think that if the Jets figure some things out, they may just put him in position to succeed. There have been much worse prospects at QB in the NFL that found a lot of success because they were in the right position. Dilfer was one and Flacco is another. But far more often than I have seen Zach be impressive, I have seen him look absolutely clueless. Maybe that turns around with a year under his belt and a better cast of characters around him, but there is no reason to believe it before I see it.
