Zach Wilson understands the bench: I don’t think I’m a scapegoat

The Jets benched Zach Wilson for Friday’s game against the Dolphins, and the 2021 second overall pick will serve as the third quarterback behind starter Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian.

Wilson’s 73.8 passer rating ranks 30th and the Jets rank 30th in yards and 30th in points. In their current three-game losing streak, the Jets have scored 24 total points.

Wilson was asked Tuesday if he felt like the scapegoat.

“I don’t think I’m a scapegoat. Absolutely not” Wilson said, via an SNY Jets video. “You have to look at the situation. We’re not scoring touchdowns. Whatever I do, my job as quarterback is to help us score points. That’s what I told you guys. I can sit here and say I had a lot of growth and huge things this year, but if you don’t score touchdowns, it doesn’t matter. importance. It really isn’t. I understand that. It’s a quarterback’s job to help everyone get on the same page, and to help everyone getting to the right place and doing the right things, and we’re not doing that across the board, so you can’t keep doing the same job. same thing.”

This is the third time in 13 months that Wilson has lost his starting job for performance reasons.

Wilson has come a long way in his maturity, learning a lesson 364 days ago when he was asked after a loss to the Patriots if he had let the defense down. Wilson was skewered for his one-word “no” response to the question.

During his media session Tuesday, Wilson was thoughtful in his answers, saying all the right things while offering support to his teammates.

His play, however, hasn’t improved over the past year, and he said he wasn’t surprised when Jets coach Robert Saleh decided to bench him this week .

“Either way, I’m not surprised,” Wilson said. “Like I told you, when we’re not scoring touchdowns consistently, and (when) we’re letting our defense down and (when) we’re not scoring points, what do you expect? You can sit there and be happy with the progress I feel like I’ve made personally, but it doesn’t matter if you can’t score, and I really understand that. It starts with the quarterback, and it’s about finding a way to get there, and we’re not doing that. If you keep doing the same thing, nothing will change. So, I understand.

Wilson might have played his last game with the Jets, with Aaron Rodgers expected back next season. The Jets will likely improve the backup quarterback situation this offseason.

But Wilson insists he’s not thinking about his future yet.

“It’s not something I thought about. That’s really not the case,” Wilson said. “I think where I’m at, I really have so much love and care for this offense. I’m really at the point where I want to see us succeed whether I’m there or not. Timmy and I became extremely close. He is someone I am very close to, a very dear friend for whom I have a lot of love. How can I help him? How can I help guys? How can I be a part of this team and this offense? Even though I’m out there, I have a lot of love for those guys and everyone in that locker room. So how can I help them? And we’ll worry about the rest later.

Wilson has six touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 games this season, and the Jets are 3-6 in his nine starts.