The New York Jets will put the win-now focus of Coach Robert Saleh’s quarterback switch to the test as the ultra-competitive race in the AFC East comes into sharp focus on the Sunday of Week 12 of the NFL season.
NFL Sunday primer: Jets try to get back into win column after QB switch
The move by Saleh was a curious mix of stunning, based on the big-picture perspective, and inevitable, given the recent developments leading up to the move.
The shocking part stems from the fact that the Jets are, in effect, giving up on Wilson only 20 starts into his NFL career after making him the No. 2 overall selection in last year’s draft. Saleh insisted last week that wasn’t the case, saying that Wilson will get another opportunity.
But it doesn’t matter here what’s being said. It matters what’s being done. The Jets are benching the player drafted to be their franchise quarterback. For Wilson, it’s possible there will be no coming back from this — at least not with this organization.
Yet by the time Saleh made his midweek announcement, the move should have come as a surprise to no one. Wilson had only nine completions and 77 passing yards in last Sunday’s 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass. It was his second straight dreadful outing against the Patriots. His immaturity showed when he was asked by reporters after the game whether the team’s offense had let down its defense and answered no. Such a lack of accountability by a quarterback does not go over well in an NFL locker room.
With a record of 6-4, the Jets are in the thick of the AFC playoff chase even with the lack of production they’ve gotten at quarterback. They’re ranked ninth in total defense. The rest of the roster is ready to win and contend. That was the delicate balancing act that Saleh and the Jets had to perform. They opted to favor here-and-now considerations over the development of their young quarterback.
White will make his fourth career NFL start and is to be backed up by veteran Joe Flacco.
Every team in the AFC East remains above .500 even after the Patriots’ loss Thursday night at Minnesota. The Buffalo Bills lead the division by a half-game after their Thanksgiving Day victory at Detroit.
The Miami Dolphins can move back into the AFC East lead with a triumph Sunday at home over the lowly Houston Texans. The Dolphins return from their bye for what amounts to a gimme game against the Texans, who made a quarterback switch of their own last week and will start Kyle Allen. Coach Lovie Smith benched second-year pro Davis Mills.
The Dolphins would match the Bills at 8-3 with a victory over the Texans. They hold the tiebreaker advantage after beating Buffalo in September. Miami is 7-0 this season in games that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has started and finished.
Source: WP
