The reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP had a powerful message for Zach Wilson following his encouraging start Sunday night against the Chiefs.
“Hey, play like that all year,” Patrick Mahomes said after leading the Chiefs to a 23-20 win over Wilson’s Jets on “Sunday Night Football” at MetLife Stadium.
While it came in a tough loss, Wilson actually gave all the naysayers reason to believe not all hope is lost for the Jets (1-3) moving forward.
The second-year quarterback posted better statistics than Mahomes, completing 28 of 39 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns.
Mahomes completed just 18 of 30 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown, but also tossed two costly interceptions.
“I thought he was really good,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said of Wilson. “Gave us a chance to win the game, brought us back. A few plays like that, we’re going to win a lot of football games.”
The game came down to Wilson’s late fumble at the Chiefs’ 49-yard line with 7:24 remaining and the Jets trailing, 23-20.
The Jets never saw the ball again, with Mahomes sealing the game with a 9-yard scramble on third-and-8 at the Jets’ 11-yard line.
Wilson took the blame for the loss, even if his play gave them a chance to pull the upset.
“It’s on me,” Wilson said. “Critical situation. I can’t have a play like that. I cannot drop the ball. This team is sacrificing a lot. Guys are making plays. Defense is making plays. The line is protecting. Receivers are making plays. To be driving right there and to drop a snap, I cannot do that.
“I lost us that game and I cannot do that.”
The big question is whether Wilson will be able to do what Mahomes said and build off this performance or if this was just a one-night outlier in front of the Swifties.
Wilson has struggled with consistency throughout his career, and has not lived up to his No. 2 draft pick status.
Fortunately for Wilson, he gets a soft opponent in Week 5 when the Jets travel to face the Broncos.
Denver infamously yielded 70 points to the Dolphins in Week 3, and allowed embattled Bears quarterback Justin Fields to throw for 335 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-28 Denver road win in Week 4.
Whether or not the Jets beat the Broncos (1-3) will go a long way toward determining whether they can remain in the AFC wild card picture.
