Zach Wilson was benched, and that was just the start of the lowlights in the New York Jets' embarrassing 32-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. Beaten soundly on both sides of the ball, the Jets were as uncompetitive as they've been all season. So, the takeaways from their loss Sunday are not pretty.
It starts with Wilson, who has remained the Jets starting quarterback despite an alarming inability to get the offense in the end zone. The Jets did score an offensive touchdown Sunday, on a short Wilson pass to Breece Hall. That ended a schneid of 12 quarters, 41 possessions and 199:12 between touchdowns by New York’s offense.
But Wilson still got yanked in the third quarter in favor of Tim Boyle. Wilson was 7-for-15 for 81 yards, one TD, one interception and five sacks. He failed to complete a pass to a wide receiver. And though he was hardly the only at fault for the mess Sunday, or the past few weeks, it felt like time for Wilson to take a seat.
"When things aren't getting done, changes gotta be made and I understand that."
Zach Wilson was asked his reaction to being benched: pic.twitter.com/VNJ4qrl91c
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 20, 2023
Of course, the benching didn't wake the Jets up. The Bills beat up on Boyle (7-for-14, 33 yards, one pick, one sack), as well. Now Robert Saleh and Co. need to pick a quarterback — perhaps Trevor Siemian who’s on the practice squad? — before a Black Friday encounter with the Miami Dolphins.
Good luck.
Hopefully the Jets show more fight against the Dolphins than they did against the Bills, outside of a postgame dust-up in the tunnel.
Nonetheless, here are some other important takeaways and lowlights from the Jets’ miserable 32-6 loss to the Bills.
Aaron Rodgers has no reason to rush back from injury for Jets
The pregame Jets scuttlebutt was that Aaron Rodgers plans to return full-time to their facility and hopes to practice by December 2 and perhaps play by the end of December.
That is not only an unprecedented timetable following Achilles surgery nine weeks ago, but it would seem improbable the 39-year-old quarterback should even bother taking such a risk at this point. The Jets have lost three straight, their offense is in shambles because of injury and ineptitude, and the playoffs are a distant dream.
Rodgers should slow his roll and focus on being 100 percent healthy for next season when, hopefully, things will be looking up for the Green and White.
Promised changes make no difference for woeful Jets offense
Saleh promised personnel and schematic changes on offense this week. Third-string running back Michael Carter was cut and replaced by rookie Izzy Abanikanda, who was active for the first time this season. Jeremy Ruckert moved past C.J. Uzomah on the depth chart at tight end. The Jets had a players-only meeting. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett called plays from upstairs for the first time.
And the Jets offense was putrid against the Bills.
Hackett called a terrible game (again). There was nothing creative in the game plan. In fact, the most creative thing the Jets did was a fake punt in the second quarter when punter Thomas Morstead completed an 18-yard pass to corner Brandin Echols.
Thomas Morstead with a dime!
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/5x26cOAhYC
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 19, 2023
It was hard to find how the Jets changed anything, outside of eventually benching Wilson. Abanikanda finally entered the game in garbage time. Dalvin Cook had two carries.
Nothing different. Nothing good.
Mekhi Becton injury latest hit for Jets’ ravaged offensive line
The Jets offensive line was a team weakness when the season started. After being decimated by injury, it's now barely an NFL-caliber unit.
Mekhi Becton is the latest casualty, sustaining an ankle injury in the first quarter Sunday. That leaves guard Laken Tomlinson as the last remaining healthy starter on the line. Things are so bad that a practice squad lineman (Chris Glaser) started in the place of an injured practice squad player (Xavier Newman) against the Bills.
Jets defense finally breaks in loss to Bills
It was bound to happen, right? Their elite defense has carried the Jets all season, especially of late. But they were broken by Josh Allen and the Bills.
DJ Reed says it's "very hard" for the Jets to win without playing complimentary football:
"We gotta all look at each other, including myself, to see what we can do to get better. Offense, defense and special teams." pic.twitter.com/Tt1lf6nxer
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 20, 2023
Allen was 20-for-32 in the air for 275 yards, three TDs and a pick on a Hail Mary to close out the first half. Guess he didn’t take kindly to comments by Saleh about being “embarrassed” by the Jets defense in Week 1.
The Jets defense hung tough early, stopping the Bills in the red zone, only surrendering three field goals to start the game. But the Bills rolled up 393 yards of total offense and their 32 points were the most allowed by the Jets in 2023.
Sauce Gardner had a rough afternoon. He was called for a holding penalty in the end zone, whistled for a mindless unnecessary roughness penalty and then on a blown coverage, was beaten for an 81-yard TD pass from Allen to Khalil Shakir in the third quarter.
Special teams far from special again for Jets
This has become a theme for the Jets. Since injuries to Justin Hardee and Chazz Surratt, among others, ripped apart a solid unit, New York’s special teams have given up game-changing plays on a weekly basis.
It didn’t take long Sunday. Rookie Xavier Gipson fumbled the opening kickoff, turning it over at the Jets 21-yard line. The Bills turned it into three points but the dye was cast for a brutal afternoon all around for the Jets.
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