Retired quarterback and current "The NFL Today" analyst Boomer Esiason suggested earlier this month that New York Jets players "all have lost their confidence in" starting signal-caller Zach Wilson.
NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY offered more information on the subject after Jets head coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson during Sunday's 32-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills that dropped New York to 4-6.
"One player does not make an offense this bad, but there is a belief shared by some within the building that their wholesale problems on offense are compounded by their struggles under center," Hughes explained. "Essentially, Wilson’s inability to be the offense’s point guard is leading to turmoil elsewhere. The Jets cannot simply keep trotting Wilson out there, hoping he gets better while laying waste to the rest of the year."
Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett both recently insisted Wilson isn't all that's wrong with the Jets offense. Those coaches may be right, but Hughes mentioned that Gang Green has now recorded one touchdown across its last 46 offensive possessions. Per ESPN, the Jets are ranked 30th in the NFL with an average of 270.3 offensive yards per game and are 30th with an average of 15.0 points per contest. Wilson, meanwhile, is ranked 30th in the league among qualified players with a 30.8 adjusted QBR on the campaign.
It was hardly a secret last fall that at least some Jets players wanted a healthy Mike White to play over Wilson, and Saleh hinted in late September he could face a locker-room mutiny if he continued starting Wilson this season amid his poor play. History suggests that neither primary backup Tim Boyle nor practice squad option Trevor Siemian will look like a good-to-go Aaron Rodgers, but Saleh nevertheless may have to do the rest of his squad a favor by going to either Boyle or Siemian for this coming Friday's home game against the 7-3 Miami Dolphins.
As of Monday morning, oddschecker listed the Jets as 7.5-point underdogs against the Dolphins.
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