By Dianna Russini, Zack Rosenblatt and Larry Holder
The New York Jets (4-6) will bench quarterback Zach Wilson and start Tim Boyle, coach Robert Saleh said Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
Jets bench Wilson again
This is the third time the Jets have benched Wilson, and it will almost certainly be the last time.
The plan was never to play Wilson this year. The Jets expected him to spend the year learning from Aaron Rodgers. Plans changed when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1 and the Jets’ decision not to sign another veteran quarterback in light of that injury proved costly.
Even as the Jets managed to steal some surprising wins against the Bills in Week 1 and the Eagles in Week 6, Wilson only seemed to get worse with each passing week, culminating in a terrible performance against the Bills that saw him benched for Boyle. . Wilson ranks 37th out of 38 eligible quarterbacks (minimum 100 dropbacks), ahead of only Tommy DeVito of the New York Giants, in EPA per dropback, according to TruMedia.
Now the Jets will demote him to third-string quarterback behind Boyle and practice squad quarterback Siemian, which is what they did last year with Mike White and Joe Flacco. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer
Wilson was the worst, literally.
This probably won’t surprise anyone, but Wilson was literally the worst quarterback, statistically speaking, over the last three years.
Since entering the league, here’s how he’s accumulated advanced metrics since 2021 (via TruMedia):
- Expected points added per dropback: -0.19 (35th among 36 qualified QBs)
- Total QB EPA: -229.2 (36th)
- Passer rating: 71.9 (36th)
- Completion percentage: 56.6 (36th)
- Third Down Conversion Rate: 26.8 (36th)
Their rates for 2023 do not paint a prettier picture:
- EPA per dropback: -0.24 (32nd among 32 qualified QBs)
- Total QB EPA: -103.9 (32nd)
- Passer rating: 73.8 (30th)
- Completion percentage: 59.2 (32nd)
- Third down conversion percentage: 24.5 (32nd)
We all know the Jets were hoping to not start Wilson again when trading for Rodgers this offseason. Now, they’ll probably never do it again. — Larry Holder, senior NFL writer
What to expect from Boyle
Boyle doesn’t have a great track record statistically (three touchdowns, six interceptions as an NFL starter) but his best skill is his quickness and decisiveness, key traits for a quarterback playing behind the Jets’ makeshift offensive line. Next week, the Jets are expected to start their eighth different offensive line in 11 games.
Boyle averaged 2.38 seconds to throw against the Bills, according to TruMedia, which would be one of the fastest averages of any NFL quarterback during the season.
“The main thing that stood out was his confidence in the previous meeting,” tight end Tyler Conklin said Monday. “He dominated the meeting very well. He is decisive in taking the ball out of his hands. Those two things stood out.” —Rosenblatt
Background
Wilson completed 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception when he was benched Sunday. He had a passer rating of 57.9.
Boyle has spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears during his career and has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 607 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions.
what they are saying
Saleh, when asked about Wilson’s future with the Jets, said: “We’ll address it in the offseason, guys. “Right now it’s really about Miami.”
Saleh also said “no” when asked if, in retrospect, the Jets should have had a more proven No. 2 quarterback than Wilson.
“We think Zach is incredibly talented, we felt like he would have the opportunity to sit behind Aaron and just learn,” Saleh said. “With empathy or sympathy, when you look at Zach, he’s never had the opportunity to see someone play that position. … That was his opportunity with Aaron and in four plays he is back in the starting lineup. He really he was never able to sit back and absorb and just get that redshirt year that you would have loved to have given him.”
Regarding New York’s pre-draft process that led them to select Wilson, Saleh said he “has (his) thoughts” and shared them with Jets general manager Joe Douglas, but declined to elaborate further. those thoughts.
Required reading
(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
