Nothing good came out of the New York Jets’ lackluster performance in a 26-0 beatdown at the hands of the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
A second-straight week without a touchdown dropped Gang Green to 0-3 with rookie quarterback Zach Wilson continuing to struggle.
The 22-year-old was limited to just 160 yards passing on 19 completions with two interceptions. That brings his season total up to a league-worst seven picks while he’s completed just 55.2% of his passes.
It doesn’t help that he’s been behind an offensive line that continuously yields pressure. Wilson has already been sacked an NFL-most 15 times, including another five on Sunday against the Broncos.
But offensive guard Greg Van Roten — who has been one of the largest liabilities of the Jets’ line this season — made sure to share some of the blame with Wilson.
“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. So we have to get on the same page.”
Van Roten himself gave up a team-high six pressures against the Broncos, which constantly put Wilson in danger, but the offensive lineman does have a point.
Behind an offensive line that is amongst the worst in the NFL, Wilson and offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur, have to recognize that time is at a premium once the ball is snapped. However, Wilson holds on to the football longer than almost any other quarterback in the league — averaging 3.02 seconds between the snap and the ball leaving his hands, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Only Lamar Jackson, Jameis Winston, and Teddy Bridgewater have held onto the ball for a longer average time this year.
