The New York Jets created headlines throughout the NFL when they made one of the most anticipated trades in league history for former Super Bowl champion quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
But the Jets didn’t need Rodgers, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon four snaps into his Jets tenure, in an upset win over the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson didn’t exactly set the world on fire. He completed 19 of his 33 pass attempts (57.6 percent completion rate) for 186 yards and no touchdowns. But more importantly, he threw zero interceptions and didn’t actively hamper his team from victory.
After the 20-14 victory, Jets coach Robert Saleh was pleased with the offensive performance.
“We’re that freaking close offensively,” Saleh told reporters, according to the New York Post. “Offensively, I thought we did a really nice job moving the ball, especially in the second half. I know the yardage isn’t going to look good, but I thought we moved the ball well in the second half and we gave ourselves opportunities. We have to finish. I think we will. We’re that freaking close.’’
That’s a particularly brutal message for Rodgers. While Saleh would certainly welcome him back into the starting role, it signifies that he thinks the Jets can still achieve their goals with Wilson leading the offense in a game-manager role, signifying that the addition of Rodgers might not have been all that important after all.
Wilson, for his part, said he’s starting to get into the flow of the offense.
“We’re that freaking close offensively. Offensively, I thought we did a really nice job moving the ball, especially in the second half. I know the yardage isn’t going to look good, but I thought we moved the ball well in the second half and we gave ourselves opportunities. We have to finish. I think we will. We’re that freaking close.’’
