A reluctant Zach Wilson apparently is an effective Zach Wilson.
The Jets quarterback, who reportedly was reluctant to take back the starting job this week, led the Jets to a surprising 30-6 victory over the Texans on a rainy Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Wilson played a strong game outside of a third-quarter fumble. He looked decisive and elusive and completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns.
The win snaps a five-game losing streak for the Jets and moves their record to 5-8 with four games left in the season.
The Jets offense scored three touchdowns for the first time all season.
The Jets switched back to Wilson after two weeks of Tim Boyle.
The Athletic reported that Wilson was reluctant to start, something he denied.
Whatever happened, Wilson looked like a different quarterback Sunday than we’ve seen for most of his career.
He moved well to escape the pass rush and did not hesitate when making passes.
It was the third 300-yard passing game of his career, the first one with no interceptions.
The Texans (7-6) are fighting for a playoff spot but their offense did nothing against the Jets defense.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud entering the game leading the NFL in passing yards but the Jets flustered him and he struggled with his top two receivers and No. 1 tight end all out of the game with injuries. Stroud finished the game 10-for-23 with 91 yards.
He exited the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent concussion after his head hit the turf.
It looked like another dismal day for the Jets offense in the first half.
Neither team scored, heading to halftime tied at 0-0.
There were 11 combined punts in the first half and just 10 combined first downs.
The Jets flipped things around to open the second half.
The Jets went 75 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the third quarter.
The key play of the drive was a third-and-12 conversion where Zach Wilson avoided pressure and rolled to his left and then threw across the field to Garrett Wilson for the first down.
Zach Wilson then connected with Randall Cobb for a 15-yard touchdown, the Jets first touchdown in two weeks, to put them up 7-0.
The Jets had only scored two offensive touchdowns in a game all year before Sunday and that came back in Week 4 against the Chiefs.
But on Sunday they scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives with Xavier Gipson scoring a nine-yard rushing touchdown to give the Jets a 14-0 lead.
Zach Wilson again made two nice third-down throws for conversions, one a 24-yard gain to tight end Tyler Conklin down the seam and an 11-yard throw to Garrett Wilson.
Zach Wilson was rolling but he did have a costly mistake near the end of the third quarter. He scrambled for 20 yards around midfield but fumbled when Christian Harris punched the ball out.
Texans defensive tackle Khalil Davis recovered at the Houston 43. It was Wilson’s sixth lost fumble this season.
The Texans took advantage and marched down the field and into Jets territory for the first time all game.
Jets safety Tony Adams was called for pass interference in the end zone, giving the Texans the ball at the 1-yard line.
Devin Singletary scored from the 1.
Texans kicker Matt Ammendola, a former Jet, missed the extra point to keep the Jets’ lead at 14-6 at the end of the third quarter.
It looked like the Jets could blow their lead but then the offense answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Wilson throwing a three-yard touchdown pass to Breece Hall to extend the lead to 21-6. Greg Zuerlein added three fourth-quarter field goals to make it a blowout 30-6 win.
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