To the surprise of no one, the New York Jets have started the 2021-22 NFL season 0-3.
Following a 26-0 defeat to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the team’s humiliating ways spilled over into various interviews.
It appears the shine has already worn off rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, as multiple players opted to take little jabs at him during media sessions.
First came veteran guard Greg Van Roten, who seemed to insinuate that Wilson needed to stop holding on to the ball so long.
Greg Van Roten on the pressure Zach Wilson faced today:
“He’s got to learn – this is the NFL, you’ve got to get the ball out. You can’t hold on to it and try to make a play and throw it deep downfield. And we’ve got to protect him better, it starts with us up front.” pic.twitter.com/sgCgsOes1T
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 26, 2021
“He’s got to learn – this is the NFL, you’ve got to get the ball out,” Van Roten said.
“You can’t hold on to it and try to make a play and throw it deep downfield. And we’ve got to protect him better, it starts with us up front.”
Wilson was sacked five times and threw two picks on Sunday. For the year, he has now been sacked 15 times and thrown seven interceptions. Clearly the youngster is responsible for some of that, but so is his offensive line. And it’s hard to interpret Van Roten’s statements as anything other than a blatant shirking of responsibility.
But he wasn’t the lone guilty party.
Wide receiver Corey Davis also doesn’t seem to have a ton of love for Wilson.
When pressed on the number of hits his young quarterback has been taking, Davis dismissed it outright.
“It’s a grown man’s league,” he replied, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.
For context: Davis caught just five of his 10 targets on the day, recording 41 receiving yards in the process. Obviously Wilson deserves some criticism, but it probably shouldn’t come from a guy who was drafted top-five and then consistently disappointed with the Tennessee Titans.
A Chiefs player couldn’t stop checking out the owner’s daughter yesterday. The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/Dbk5ifxWwi
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 27, 2021
Wilson, for his part, has been very honest about his struggles. Between his mom’s recent ‘crack whore’ incident and his inability to avoid turning the ball over, clearly he has enough on his plate without his teammates piling on.
Can things still improve? Sure. The year is young. But the smart money says things are going to get a lot worse before they get better in New York.
Related: Brittany Matthews Claims Chiefs Were Cheated In Chargers Loss (Photos)
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
