Zach Wilson enjoyed the best game of his young NFL career on Sunday night, skewering a formidable Chiefs defense to the tune of 245 yards, two interceptions and zero interceptions.
It was the sort of display the Jets QB had been desperate to put on tape. But when pressure mounted late in the game, Wilson faltered; the third-year hurler had the ball jarred loose just as Gang Green mounted a late charge towards Kansas City territory.
It was an unfortunate turn of events, one whose impact was exacerbated by a pair of controversial refereeing decisions in the Chiefs ensuing drive. All that amounted to a three-point Jets defeat, hardly a terrible result for a team still reeling from the loss of Aaron Rodgers.
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Moral victories are never fun. But for Wilson — the much-maligned former No. 2 overall pick who has taken stingers from luminaries like Broadway Joe Namath to countless New York sports talk radio "experts" — he certainly left MetLife Stadium with more admirers than he had when he entered.
One of those advocates was none other than Lakers supernova LeBron James. James — always privy to the weight of pressure resting on athletes' shoulders — offered an impassioned statement of support for Wilson, who looked in a haze of despair when the whistle blew.
Zach Wilson said, "I lost the game. It's my fault bro". I feel for the kid. He played great tonight. They were a hair away from beating the defending champs. Love seeing his teammates lifting him up throughout the game though. Jets might be ok after all. pic.twitter.com/jF96a89jTx
— Jake Laskey (@WeDo_WithJL) October 2, 2023
"Helluva game kid," James wrote on his Instagram story. "You win as a team and lose as well as a team! One play doesn't define the whole game!
LeBron James showed love to Zach Wilson on his IG story 🙌 pic.twitter.com/PH8UEzGE61
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 2, 2023
"Keep ya head up high and keep pushing forward!! If it was easy, everyone would do it!"
Wilson's showcase — specked with the golden gleam of New York's marquees — gave a glimpse of the tools that had the Jets so adamant they had found a fixture under center when they made Wilson the second overall pick in 2020. He looked assured in the pocket, evading duress and firing darts to New York's playmakers, namely Garrett Wilson, who snagged nine catches on the night.
MORE: Rodney Harrison rips Zach Wilson in awkward, salty exchange with Chris Jones
Not everyone was as complimentary of Wilson's display; NBC's Rodney Harrison appeared to try to coax Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones into bad-mouthing the New York QB postgame. Jones wasn't having it, though, instead lauding the scorned sidewinder for his showing in primetime.
"Zach Wilson is special man," Jones said. "You just gotta give the guy time."
Rodney Harrison tried to bait Chris Jones into saying something bad about Zach Wilson
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 2, 2023
Chris Jones instead used the opportunity to praise Zach Wilson for his performance tonight.
Respect to Chris Jones.
(@stefanskifan)
pic.twitter.com/bwhhGFS88X
Based on head coach Robert Saleh's comments postgame, it seems that is what could be coming for Wilson in the coming few weeks.
"I thought he was really good. Gave us a chance to win the game, brought us back," Saleh said. "If he plays like that, we're going to win a lot of football games."
