3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 14 Win vs. Texans
The New York Jets went back to quarterback Zach Wilson for their Week 14 matchup with the Houston Texans. It proved to be the right decision, as he gave the offense enough of a spark to complement one of the team's better defensive performances of the season.
The Jets were home underdogs against the Texans and red-hot quarterback C.J. Stroud. However, Wilson outplayed his rookie counterpart, the defense played extremely well, and the Jets got just enough from their ground game to craft a convincing 30-6 victory.
New York moves to 5-8 with the victory, and while the playoffs are still an extreme long shot, the Jets have a chance to build some momentum over the final month of the season.
Here are our biggest takeaways from the Jets' Week 14 win over the Texans.
The Defense Does Its Job
The Jets defense did a tremendous job of limiting Stroud and the seven-win Texans on Sunday. Of course, it's worth noting that Houston was without standout rookie receiver Tank Dell (fractured fibula) and lost receiver Nico Collins (calf) during the game.
Still, what the Jets did against a playoff-caliber team was impressive. Houston mustered just 144 total yards, 63 passing yards and 2.8 yards per play while going 1-of-12 on third down.
Too often this season, the Jets defense hasn't looked like the dominant unit that ranked fourth in yards and points allowed last season—it came into Sunday ranked 13th in points allowed. It looked a lot more like that unit against Houston.
The defense can't control the health of the opposition, and for the second straight week, it played well enough to win. While the tandem of Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian couldn't give New York enough offense to win in Week 13, Wilson did on Sunday.
If the Jets can continue playing complementary football while leaning on their defense moving forward, they'll have a chance to pick up more victories before season's end.
New York's Offensive Stars Do Enough
While inconsistent play at quarterback has been the talk of the Jets defense all season, it has been far from the only issue. It often hasn't mattered who has been under center because the offensive line has been inconsistent and because the team lacks reliable playmakers after Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.
On Sunday, though, the Jets got exactly what they needed from Wilson and Hall.
Hall only carried seven times, but he rushed for 29 yards. He also added 86 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. Wilson, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, finished with nine catches for 108 yards.
The offense got help from other areas too. Tight end Tyler Conklin caught four passes for 57 yards, while Randall Cobb made a rare appearance and caught his first touchdown pass as a Jet.
However, it was largely Hall and Wilson who dictated the game offensively for New York. Presumably, Aaron Rodgers will be back under center next year, and these two will give him a solid foundation of skill players. The challenge will be adding another piece or two to complement them consistently.
Jets Have an Opportunity to Build Wilson's Trade Value
During the week, there was some buzz that Wilson was reluctant to return to the starting lineup, which the quarterback denied, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.
On Friday, Doug Robinson of the Deseret News added a little more context to the situation:
"Sources close to the situation confirmed to the Deseret News that the Jets have told Zach Wilson he will be traded after the season. Wilson and coach Robert Saleh agreed to a mutual parting following the benching ...before the team decided to return him to the starting position Sunday."
The problem with trying to move Wilson is that benching him for Boyle left him with little trade value. However, the Jets have an opportunity to restore some of his value by playing him and seeing him play well.
The 24-year-old seemed like a reinvigorated player against the Texans and indeed performed well. He finished 27-of-35 for 301 yards and two touchdowns. It was one of the best outings of his career, and if he continues to play at a similar level, some team may be willing to take a flier on him after all.
We'll have to wait and see if Wilson can keep it up next week against the rival Miami Dolphins.