Zach Wilson keeps saving his best for last.
The mostly dormant Jets offense has scored in the final two minutes of either half in five of their seven games, punctuated last week when Wilson completed back-to-back 29-yard passes in the final 24 seconds to set up the tying field goal in an eventual overtime win against the Giants.
The easiest explanation is that the Giants made a mistake by switching out of their trademark press-man coverage and blitz packages to drop back and protect the sidelines, defending against the clock instead of the Jets.
But is there something about Wilson that suits those two-minute drives?
“It’s tough to say because it’s also in my mind a got-to-have-it situation,” Wilson said, “so, in that moment, I need to force some things and try to get us in field-goal range. It’s not the same as just playing a normal down and distance.”
After forcing things too often led to too many turnovers and his benching last season, Wilson mostly has eliminated the killer mistakes and allowed the defense to lead the way to victory.
With it, his decisions are more cautious earlier in the games.
“Coaches don’t call plays to be conservative and check the ball down,” Wilson said. “It really comes down to ‘Is the shot there?’ and if it’s not, where are my outlets? How can I get the ball out of my hands? Every play is that way. There’s never a play that coach installs deep routes and says ‘Hey, I want you to throw a 2-yard checkdown.’”
The challenge for coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is finding a fine line between most-of-game Wilson and end-of-game Wilson.
“Do I enjoy when you need it and I’m able to get out of the pocket and maybe go try to make something happen?” Wilson asked rhetorically. “Yeah, for sure.”
But Wilson also realizes that he is playing with fire at the end of the games.
After all, he was sacked on a fourth-and-10 with 1:26 to go that should’ve wrapped up a Giants’ win.
“It’s one of those situations that things don’t always go your way because it’s so frantic and it’s very, very rare that something can happen on time,” Wilson said. “So it’s like you have a love-hate for them because one you didn’t make it and the other one you do.”
Aaron Rodgers claims to have once seen a UFO.
Well, teammate Mekhi Becton thinks he might be witnessing extraterrestrial life when he sees Rodgers dropping back to throw passes during pregame warm-ups less than two months removed from Achilles surgery.
“He might be an alien,” Becton quipped. “At his age (39) and the injury he had, to be recovered that fast, he’s a different kind of guy, for sure.”
LB Quincy Williams was called for two personal foul penalties — an unnecessary roughness and an illegal hit — last game.
“The first one was uncalled for. It was more of a selfish penalty,” Williams said. “It was one of those moments where you have to take a step back and calm down. I can complain and be like, ‘[my opponent] had me by the neck,’ but no one wants to hear that and they always catch the second person, anyway.”
But Williams said the second penalty was a product of him running full speed when Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito slipped.
“I can’t change the trajectory of my hit in the air,” Williams said.
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