3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 18 Loss
At one point during the 2022 NFL season, the New York Jets seemed to be heading toward the playoffs. However, they struggled down the stretch, and their postseason drought (the longest active one in the league) was extended to 12 seasons.
The Jets' disappointing second half concluded with an 11-6 defeat to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. While Miami secured the final AFC wild-card berth with its win, New York suffered its sixth consecutive loss to end the season.
Neither team got into the end zone, as the 17 total points came via five field goals and a safety on the game's final play. Jason Sanders lifted the Dolphins to victory by kicking a go-ahead 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds to go.
Here are three takeaways from the Jets' season-ending Week 18 loss.
Wilson Lived Up to All Expectations with Big Rookie Year
Despite New York's offense being led by three different quarterbacks this season (Zach Wilson, Mike White and Joe Flacco), Garrett Wilson still had a tremendous rookie campaign. The 22-year-old wide receiver thrived regardless of which QB was under center, showing exactly why the Jets took him with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 draft.
Wilson capped his debut NFL campaign with another solid performance, as he recorded a season-high nine catches for 89 yards in the loss to the Dolphins. Over 17 games, he had 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns.
"I thought Garrett played well," New York head coach Robert Saleh said, per John Pullano of the team's official site. "He did pretty much everything that was asked of him."
In addition to setting the franchise rookie records in catches and receiving yards, Wilson was the first Jets receiver to total more than 1,000 receiving yards in his first NFL season. While New York has areas it needs to improve on offense, it can go into the offseason knowing Wilson should be a leader in its receiving corps for the long term.
The Defense Could Be a Strength to Build Around for Future
The Jets' defense had plenty of strong performances throughout the season, and they ended on a positive note. They kept the Dolphins out of the end zone on Sunday while allowing only 302 total yards, despite Miami possessing the ball for 35 minutes and 25 seconds.
Quincy Williams led New York's impressive defensive effort with 10 tackles and a sack. The 26-year-old linebacker is among the large contingent of young players on the unit who the Jets can build around for the future.
"We've got a championship-caliber defense," Saleh said, per Alanis Thames of the Associated Press.
New York allowed only 311.1 total yards per game (the fourth fewest in the NFL). Among the other key players on its defense was rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner, who quickly became a shutdown CB after getting taken with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft.
So there's a lot for the Jets to be excited about regarding their defense, and they now have an opportunity to strengthen that group even more during the offseason.
The Jets Have a QB Dilemma to Solve This Offseason
The fact that Flacco was under center and Zach Wilson was on the sideline on Sunday served as a reminder that the Jets have a dilemma to solve at the sport's most important position. Wilson (the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft) struggled during his sophomore campaign, while White and Flacco are both set to hit free agency and aren't likely to be long-term answers anyway.
Wilson dealt with numerous injuries and was benched twice for ineffectiveness this season. In nine games, he passed for 1,688 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Only 23, Wilson could still develop into a strong NFL quarterback. However, it may not happen with the Jets, who will need to figure out whether it's already time to go in a different direction during the offseason.
It wouldn't be surprising if New York brings in a new QB to serve as the starter in the 2023 season. Will it address the position via free agency, trade or the draft? That isn't yet clear.
But Wilson may not have shown enough improvement over his first two seasons to warrant getting another opportunity to start for the Jets. And considering the team now has so many talented players at other positions, it needs to get the QB problem resolved soon.